“The RoseBouquet”

Jesus is about to go back to Heaven, from where He will come again as the victorious King of all kings. While He is preparing our future home in Heaven, we are to spread this good news of His salvation to everyone, so all the people of the world can be part of that Great Big Wonderful Family up there.

The disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.

Do you spot those three words at the end of verse 17? “But some doubted.” Even then, not all had faith in Jesus or His words.

However, they were present when Jesus gave this last great commission – which all of Jesus’ disciples are suppose to be doing until He returns as King Jesus. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.”

So what does this mean to you and me? If we believe Jesus, we can rest assured He has all authority in Heaven and in earth. We can cheerfully go and tell everybody in every nation about Him, and baptize them into our God with three Persons, and help them to become disciples of Jesus too. Then we have a responsibility to teach them everything Jesus commanded (all we’ve studied in the book of Matthew), always with this confidence that Jesus is right here present with us in the form of the Holy Spirit.

PRAYER: Oh God, this is stupendous! You are so marvelous, revealing Yourself to us in three unique Personalities, God, as the Father-Creator of us all, and Jesus, as one of us Humans, who was perfect, so He could die for our sins, and as a Spirit, abiding in and with our spirit to guide us. On top of all this You have given us this Assignment to be part of the saving of all the souls who will respond to our/Your invitation to come under the kingship of Jesus! Wow! Let’s do it!

THE ENDNOTE: This completes our study of Matthew. Because I’m in the midst of buying a house and preparing it to move into, and my days are very busy, I’m going to put daily devotionals for publication on hold for a while. Not my own personal ones of course; we all need to meet with the LORD daily!

I hope you will continue to read and think about the readings in the Bible, seeking to find a personal application for yourself. The Lord will meet you there and speak to you!

When I have another series ready I will notify those on this mailing list by email.

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S.What would it look and feel like to be a young woman who calls upon God in every crisis and always seems to get answers? You can vicariously experience this through the novel, Ruthe’s Secret Roses. .

Interesting! Those guards who had been mute witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus came to life, and delegated some of them (out of two, four, or more, we don’t know), to go into the city and report to the chief priests everything that happened.

The chief priests quickly met with the elders and devised a plan. (Always scheming, right?) They paid the soldiers a large sum of money and told them what to story to report; that the disciples had stolen Jesus’ body while they slept. If this got to the governor’s ears, they would cover the soldiers’ tracks. It says here, that this is the story widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

I now have a big question. Roman soldiers were always executed if they were found to have been asleep on a guard duty. If they confessed to being asleep, why were they not executed?

This does explain though, why it is so hard to convince people of the resurrection if they have only heard the Jewish, or secular version of what happened. They have believed the fabricated story sold to the soldiers.

The soldiers knew the true account of what happened, and they told it to the chief priests, so they were not ignorant either. All these men deliberately choose to believe and pass on a lie. I think this falls under the “unpardonable sin.”

So what can I learn from this? What shall I do or believe now as a result?

PRAYER: Oh Father-God, I rejoice that I have heard the true account despite this cover-up! Thank You, that the truth has not been silenced. Your truth has prevailed. Help me to be part of those who pass on this true account of Jesus’ resurrection, and not part of those who cover it up with falsehoods. I want to be bolder in sharing the gospel story, because everyone who believes and receives for themselves Jesus’ death and resurrection for them, can be saved and sanctified. Hallelujah! Amen!

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. Watching your friend die is HARD, isn’t it? Ruthe handles it fairly well for her first time. You should read this book - you could learn from her.

“The early bird gets the worm,” I used to hear a lot when I was growing up. These two Marys were up and away to the tomb at dawn on the first day of the week. They got there in time to see all the drama of Jesus’ resurrection. They definitely got the prize!

First there was a violent earthquake. It says, “..for an angel of the Lord came down…” so apparently the angel arrived with a mighty thump on the earth. This angel grabbed that sealed rock at the tomb’s door, and rolled it away. Not just over a foot or two, but so it landed on it’s side, and this strong angel sat down on it. He had the brilliance of lightening, and clothing as white as dazzling snow.

The guards were so afraid of him, the Bible says here, that they were like dead men. Immobilized. (I wonder if they didn’t recall what they saw later, and have an impressive story to tell!)

The women might have been somewhat rattled and in shock too, but at least they were able to hear the angel speak and to obey. The angel said, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

The women hurried away, afraid, yet filled with joy. But on the way, Jesus greeted them! They worshiped Him, and He reiterated the message to go tell His brothers to go to Galilee to see Him.

I can only imagine the utmost excitement in these two Marys. It might have been like my most emotional time multiplied about 10 or 12 times. (More might kill me).

PRAYER: Oh Lord, what a tremendous, victorious resurrection for You! How exciting for those Marys to witness the opening of that tomb. How wise that the guards were witnesses too, and had a story to tell afterwards that no one could refute. How glad I am, dear Lord Jesus, that You are such a mighty Victor over death and the grave! Abiding in You I have that now too!

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. So much fiction nowadays focuses on ‘reality’ - the ugliness of life, the raw pain. Ruthe’s Secret Roses is different in that it focuses on what life should be and can be like if someone has a lively relationship with God. True, there is a lot of suffering in this world, and the book doesn’t hide from that reality, but shows how one young woman deals with it in victory. Wouldn’t you like to see how she does it? Read about the book here

Pilate had become very accommodating, hadn’t he? When Joseph asked for the body of Jesus to bury it, he got it. When the Chief Priests and Pharisees came to Pilate to ask for a seal and guard around that tomb so that Jesus would not be able to fulfill His prediction that He would rise the third day, Pilate let them have their way too. “Go make it as secure as you know how,” he said..

The story the religious leadership gave was that the disciples might steal Jesus’ body and then say He had risen from the dead. They must have projected on those poor disciples the kind of actions they would take themselves. I’ve not had the impression the disciples were the sort who would attempt such a deceptive move.

The disciples were devastated that their Lord had in fact died. This was not how they had understood Him, nor was it in their minds to plot anything, never mind to pretend Jesus had risen from the dead.

Maybe it’s just as well it was these Chief Priests and the Pharisees who took all these precautionary measures. They themselves sealed that tomb and posted Pilate’s guard, two to four soldiers, who knew if they fell asleep on this watch, they were dead too! This way, when the resurrection happened, these angry Pharisees had no one to point a finger at. They could not point and say, “You should have sealed that tomb!” Or, “Why wasn’t there a guard posted?” They had seen to every security measure.

When I was a child, if we kids tried to plan tricks or traps for one another, my beloved Gra’ma would say very wisely, quoting a verse in Proverbs I learned later, “He who digs a pit for another will fall into it himself.” - Those religious leaders set a trap for themselves.

PRAYER: Lord, we’ve read the next chapter, so we know what happens and we read these verses with that in mind. If I should start an elaborate plot to deceive others, help me to remember that it will spring on me, and hold me up to public embarrassment. I confess, that does seem to be fair retribution. You are a just and fair God. I want to remember that.

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses, and the voice I hear, falling on my ear…. Ruthe’s Secret Roses, my novel, illustrates that dear song!

Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man who had become a disciple of Jesus. After Jesus died it was Joseph who knew what to do, and had the courage. He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. He was used to getting what he asked, and may not have had any qualms. Pilate simply ordered that Jesus’ body be given to him.

Nor was this man, Joseph, afraid to do work that would normally contanimate someone else. He handled Jesus’ body, (probably with the help of servants), taking it down from the cross and wrapping it in a clean linen cloth. Then they carried it to his own freshly hewn tomb in a rock garden nearby. Joseph and his servants rolled a big stone in front of the mouth of the tomb, and went away.

But look; verse 61 says, “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there across from the tomb.” It doesn’t say whether they helped with the burial as we saw in Mel Gibson’s “Passion of Christ,” but it’s possible. At the very least, they were nearby and had watched, and could not tear themselves away yet to go home. This was the worst day they had ever experienced, and they could not switch it off so easily. They sat on the ground and mourned.

I learn from Joseph that if we do the next good thing we know to do, God will use it as part of His plan. Just step forward and others will agree and things will be completed. We may not all be rich followers of Jesus, but if we use what we have and know, it will be the right thing at the right time.

I learn from the women that it is important not to brush off and set aside our grieving process. When we hurt badly, we need to allow time to own that pain. Denying it does not help us. (It will only make us unhealthy).

PRAYER: Oh Lord, it’s hard to do both, but I want to be like Joseph, and take the next steps as they appear necessary, and even to sacrifice the things I’d set aside for myself, to give them to You. You won’t borrow them forever! On the other hand, like these dear women, I need to face and express my pain and grief when I have it, and not run away from it. Help me to do that too. Amen.

NOTE: As you can see we are nearing the end of our study of Matthew. There will be four more devotionals next week, bringing us to the end of chapter 28. Because I’m very busy with cleaning up Dad’s estate and preparing to move myself, I’ll beg a leave of absence for a while, and let you know when I have another study ready - perhaps in the fall. I’ll let you know when we can start up again. Thank you for staying with me through this study. I trust it has blessed you.

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. Muriel’s older sister Cathy has gone to a party with plans to elope from there. But their mother is dying and wants to talk to Cathy. What is there to do but find her and bring her back - even against her will. How do you suppose Ruthe handled that? Find out by reading, Ruthe’s Secret Roses. Available in e-Book edition Softcover edition.

For three hours in the middle of the day, a heavy darkness came over the land as Jesus was on the cross. Then He cried out that dreadful prayer, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” That was what the darkness was about.

Because all the sins of the world were on Jesus, God the Father turned away - He did not want to look at that sin. So Jesus tasted the terrible aloneness that comes with being disconnected from God for our sins.

I find it odd that after all these hours of suffering Jesus was still able to cry out with a loud voice. In verse 50, it says that He cried out with a loud voice again, and gave up His spirit. So His life was not just dribbled away, instead He willed to die, and died.

Immediately there were amazing effects; the great big, heavy, woven veil in the temple that protected the Holiest of holies from all but one priest, once a year, was torn - not from the bottom where people might reach it, but from the top, where only God could grab it and tear!

Secondly there was an earthquake and rocks split open. Tombs broke open and the bodies of holy, God-fearing people were raised to life, and wandered around the city, speaking to people.

The centurion and all those watching Jesus’ death got chills, and declared that is really, truly must be the Son of God. This super-natural death rivaled and superseded anything in their mythology of their gods’ adventures.

PRAYER: This is such an old story to me, Lord, that sometimes my mind glazes over, but today, in reading it a fresh in Your Word, I feel like I have afresh glimpse of how mighty You are, and that Your death on the cross was a very BIG deal! You suffered much for us, for me, but in the end You laid down Your life, it wasn’t snatched from You. You laid it down for my sins, and that set off fireworks of splitting rocks and resurrections from the dead! Truly, You are the Son of God!

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. God tells me I am His own - does He ever tell you that? You can find out how by reading my novel, Ruthe’s Secret Roses

These two paragraphs summarize the whole event as it happened to Jesus, but was done for me. Yet there is so much here!

Simon from Cyrene was forced to carry Jesus’ cross when He simply was physically not able to any more. It is a picture of Jesus carrying my cross for me, as He had no guilt or shame for which to die but mine, and those of the whole world. When I cannot carry my sin any more, Jesus carries them for me.

They offered him wine to drink - the only painkiller of that day - but as soon as Jesus had tasted it enough to know what it was, He refused. He chose to suffer everything for me, not to drug it away.

When Jesus was hung naked on the cross, He could watch the soldiers gambling over who got to take home His items of clothing. Most dying people don’t get to see their possessions disbursed like that. When I feel I’ve been violated and robbed, Jesus knows exactly how that feels! He experienced the worst of it for me.

Then there was the mocking of the passersby and the chief priests and teachers of the Jewish law, who made fun of Jesus’ promises and laughed at God rescuing Him. Even the robbers who were crucified on either side, joined in the taunting. No matter how much I might ever suffer in this way, Jesus has tasted the full extreme for me, and absorbed the abuse for me.

If Jesus had not suffered and died for me, God would see that I experienced the complete extent of what my sins deserved. To God’s sense of justice that means suffering in Hell forever with Satan and his demons. But! The Bible is full of promises that if I believe Jesus went through all that in my place, and accept Him as my Substitute, then I am set FREE as if I had never sinned!

PRAYER: Oh Lord Jesus! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Yes, I accept this great and marvelous gift. I will love and praise You forever! I had no other way to get out of that death sentence, but You suffered all that in my place, and gave me Your new life. Hallelujah! Thank You, Jesus!

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. What kind of things do you say when someone you know is dying of cancer? Or do you stay away? Ruthe was tense as a violin, but she stayed, and prayed, and the right words came to her! Watch how she handles such situations in the book, Ruthe’s Secret Roses.

In this short passage the governor’s soldiers got a turn at mocking and torturing Jesus. They were trained to kill, and probably had refined the torture of victims to a sport for their own entertainment.

They stripped Him, and put on a scarlet robe and crowned Him with a circlet of thorns. They put a staff in His hand, and then pretended to worship Him, but in a mocking way, and spit on Him.

Many believers are afraid to speak up for Jesus, fearing those we know or who hear, will mock us, yet in our wildest imaginations, I don’t think many of us ever suffer such cruel mocking as Jesus did. In some corners of the world it is so severe, but most of us only experience disapproving comments or a joke at our expense.

These soldiers also took that staff and hit Jesus on the head repeatedly with it, and then they changed Him back to His own clothes, and took Him out to proceed with the ordered crucifixion.

Let’s think about that mocking some more. There was the indignity of being stripped, the pain of the thorns in that crown, and the beating on the head with the staff, but worst of all - what will have hurt Jesus the most, is their pretend worship. He knew He deserved their true worship, but this was not the real thing. This great big lie must have wounded Jesus tremendously. It hit Him at the core of who He was, the Creator of this world, and these very soldiers; He was the One sent from God to die for their sins.

Have you ever experienced such severe mocking? I have not.

PRAYER: Oh Lord Jesus, I am ashamed for having ever feared that others would mock me if I mentioned Your name. I have never really experienced such severe mocking as You did. But now, no matter how bad it is for someone else, You can say that You’ve had as much or worse - and You bore it all for us. Thank You, dear Lord Jesus. Thank You!

Help me now to be bolder, and to not left fear of mocking hold me back from truly worshiping and serving You. Most of all, keep me from insincere worship, for that mocks You all over again!

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. Oh, how sweet to have a friend who’d drop everything and come when you need her. Ruthe, the heroine of this novel, dashes away from her own grad when her friend Muriel calls. Don’t you wish you had a loyal, caring friend like that? Buy and READ Ruthe’s Secret Roses! e-Book edition Softcover edition.

When Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He answered, “It is as you say.” Then He said not another word to all the charges railed about Him by the mob in the courtyard. This amazed the governor, Pilate. He knew it was out of envy they had handed Jesus over to him. But he did have a legal dilemma.

Adding to this, his wife sent a message not to have anything to do with this Man. She had suffered some bad dreams over Him. Trouble would surely come if He was crucified.

Pilate tried to solve his problem by offering the people a choice, to release Jesus or Barabbas, a notorious criminal, for it was the custom at this feast time to release one prisoner. Under normal circumstances the people would never have wanted Barabbas loose again, but they were determined to be rid of Jesus that morning, so they choose to set a thief and murderer free instead.

Pilate saw he was getting nowhere. Yet he was too weak to take authority over the crowd. So he washed his hands, hoping to absolve himself of responsibility, and turned Jesus over to be flogged and crucified.

What do you think? Did God use even a weak man in a back-handed way, to carry out the plan of salvation? What if Pilate had been strong, defended Jesus, and dealt firmly with the angry mob? It would have foiled God’s plan; Jesus came to die legally, for our sins. Pilate was probably miserable the rest of his life over this decision, but he was part of God’s plan.

PRAYER: Dear Lord God, I hope I don’t become a negative part of Your plan. I’d rather obey You willingly, and be Your channel of blessing through noble deeds. However, I see You are able to work through even the faults and weaknesses of non-believers to bring to pass what You have determined to do. I need not fear unbelievers so much - You will turn even their decisions and actions around to bless those who do love and obey You. Thank You Lord, for being so great, so thorough, that You use even the bad for Your glory.

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. What high school grad would skip her banquet to dash away to help a friend in a crisis? Would you? Ruthe does this right at the beginning of this story. She can be quite daring for a shy, small town girl, when it is for others’ sakes. You’ll like her spunk! Get “Ruthe’s Secret Roses.” the softcover at Booklocker.com

Judas must have been near enough to watch what was going on. When the chief priests and elders came to the decision to put Jesus to death and took Him to Pilate for the official decision of the Roman government, and the actual deed, Judas was aware of it.

Now he knew things had NOT gone as he had planned. He had hoped to force Jesus’ hand into declaring Himself the King of the Jews, and overthrowing the Romans. He was filled with remorse, but we read nothing of his repentance. No desire for forgiveness.

He went back to the chief priests and confessed he had betrayed innocent blood. They shrugged, “What’s that to us?” So he threw down the money they had given him, and went out to hang himself.

The priests knew it was blood money, so they dare not use it in God’s temple. Instead, they bought the potter’s field for a spare burial ground for foreigners and strangers who died while passing through Jerusalem. It had a lot of clay, not good for anything else.

I think this story could have ended very differently if Judas had cried out to God for forgiveness. But he didn’t. He had remorse - Judas regretted what he had done, but he didn’t move to the next step and repentance, or admitting that he wanted forgiveness.

This still happens all the time. People wish they had never committed certain sins, but they won’t ask for it to be taken away - which can only be done by trusting in that precious blood Jesus shed for each of our wrongs.

PRAYER: Oh Lord God in Heaven, I hope I never stall at just this first stage, remorse. I do not want to end up like Judas! I do believe Your love and mercy is so great that You would have forgiven Judas if he has humbled himself and asked, and trusted in Your sacrificial Lamb. So then - You are willing to forgive the worst I have ever done too, right?

Hallelujah! Thank You, Father-God. Thank You, dear Jesus, my Saviour, My Lord, and My dearest, closest Friend!

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. How can you be sure you would like an e-book before you pay for it? In a store you’d stand and read a couple of chapters first, right? Sit down, take your time; READ eight chapters of Ruthe’s Secret Roses for free!