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Ask God: Jesus Christ gave the ultimate sacrifice. He died on the cross for you and me. May we remember His sacrifice and stand firm in our time of trouble. All glory to God.

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Good Evening Reader,

May God be with you today as we study the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. It is hard to read of the terrible punishment they rendered on Jesus. Come into God's presence and enjoy fellowship with Him.

Today is the day the Lord has made. Enjoy!

All Glory to God.

Elvin

Blessed are Those who are Persecuted for Righteousness's Sake --

How Christians Benefit from Practicing Righteousness

What does it mean to be blessed, and more specifically, what does it mean to be blessed for those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake?

The Sermon on the Mount contains some of Jesus' most challenging teachings. It was this sermon that Jesus began with the blessings of the Beatitudes. Jesus' radical teachings were different from anything the disciples had ever heard. Jesus taught that true discipleship must come from the heart.

The teachings of the religious leaders were superficial righteousness and not good enough to enter the kingdom of heaven. Sins of the heart, such as angry insults and intentional lust, are worthy of hell just as much as adultery and murder. Believers should not seek revenge. Instead, God intends us to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors. In short, we should strive to be perfect, as God is perfect.

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The Blessing of Persecution for Righteousness' Sake (Matthew 5:10)

Jesus declared: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."Not only will a believer be blessed and happy, but will also receive the kingdom of heaven.

Why does Jesus call those who are persecuted "blessed"? What does it look like today to suffer for righteousness? How should Christians respond to opposition to living a godly life?

Paul wrote to Timothy with advice. He said, "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Timothy 3:12). Then Peter had this to say about persecution, "If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you" (1 Peter 4:14).

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What does it mean to be "persecuted for righteousness"?

Following Jesus Christ requires a commitment from the believer. It also could mean ridicule and suffering opposition because you are living in obedience to God's Word, standing up for truth, or refusing to compromise with worldly values.

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How does God view those who suffer for doing what is right?

God sees them as blessed, honored, and worthy of His Kingdom. He promises that their reward in heaven is great and their suffering is not in vain. This believer is committed and stands firm for the Lord. He doesn't follow the whims of the world in order to be accepted by the world. He does not sway with the wind.

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What Did Blessings of God Mean to the Jewish People?

To the Jewish people in Jesus' day, to be "blessed" meant to be favored by God, to live under His approval, and to experience peace, prosperity, and well-being—often seen through tangible outcomes like health, family, land, and protection.

Jesus redefined blessing in spiritual and eternal terms rather than temporal, physical ones. His words challenged the common belief that blessings only meant outward success.

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Who Was Sinless but Endured Persecution?

How could the community turn so completely on Jesus from Sunday when He triumphantly road into Jerusalem to Friday when He was nailed to the cross?

Also, how could the Roman soldiers mistreat Jesus when they had no apparent cause to detest Jesus?

Our focus is Friday—Good Friday—and how Jesus was treated from the time of His arrest at midnight Friday morning to 3 pm when He died on the cross.

Shortly after midnight, Jesus was betrayed by Judas, one of His disciples, who let the authorities know where Jesus was. So after the Last Supper, and whilst the disciples were sleeping in the garden of Gethsemane, soldiers came to arrest Jesus.

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Jesus Before the Sanhedrin

On the night of Jesus' arrest, He was taken to the Sanhedrin, where Caiaphas, the high priest, teachers of the Jewish law, and the elders had assembled to hear the case against Jesus.

Peter followed Him at a distance to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome. At this hearing, Peter has a front-row seat.

The chief priests and the court were looking for any evidence—even false evidence—to bring against Jesus so that they could put Him to death. Many false witnesses came forward but found no evidence to condemn Jesus. Finally, two came forward and, after some questioning, were able to convict Jesus on blasphemy charges.

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Peter Denies Jesus Three Times

Peter sat watching and listening in the courtyard to what was taking place. Then, several locals thought they recognized him and accused him of being a follower of Jesus. Peter denied He knew Jesus.

Again, others asked Peter if he was a follower of Jesus, and again, he denied knowing Jesus. Peter denied knowing Jesus three times. At this point, Peter remembered Jesus's words: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." When Peter realized what he had done, he went outside and wept bitterly.

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Judas Hangs Himself

Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders made their plans on how to have Jesus executed. The Jewish courts were not allowed to execute a person. They bound led him away and handed him over to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of the area.

When Judas saw that Jesus was condemned, he was remorseful. He tried to return the thirty pieces of silver to the religious leaders. Judas threw the money into the temple and left. He then went away and hanged himself.

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Jesus is Brought Before Pontius Pilate

Jesus was brought before Pilate to stand trial. The governor asked him about the charges leveled against him by the Jewish court, but Jesus refused to defend Himself. Pilate was amazed at Jesus' silence.

During Pilate's reign, the governor's custom was to release a prisoner the crowd chose. In custody was a well-known prisoner named Barabbas. Pilate asked the crowd if they wanted Barabbas released or if he should release Jesus? The crowd asked for Barabbas to be released.

Pilate asked, "What shall I do then, with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?" They all answered, "Crucify Him!" "Why? What crime has He committed?" asked Pilate. But the mob continued to shout for Jesus to be crucified.

Having found no crime, Pilate washed his hands of the matter and said that Jesus would be their responsibility. After releasing Barabbas to them, he had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified.

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Jesus Was Handled Over to the Roman Soldiers

Pontius Pilate's soldiers then took Jesus into a Roman courtyard. They stripped him, put a scarlet robe on Him, and made a crown of thorns to sit on Jesus' head.

They put a staff in his right hand and knelt before him, mocking him. Then, they physically abuse Jesus. After mocking Him, they removed the robe and put his own clothes on Him. Then, they proceeded to crucify Him on the cross.

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Jesus is Crucified

The soldiers carried Jesus to a place called Golgotha. There, they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall—a drink mixed with myrrh to dull the pain of crucifixion, but after tasting it, Jesus refused to drink it.

The soldiers divided up Jesus' clothes by casting lots. The soldiers stood guard to ensure no one prevented Jesus from dying on the cross. They placed the written charge on a sign above Jesus, which read: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

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Jesus Dies on the Cross

From noon until three in the afternoon, darkness came over the area. At about 3pm, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

The soldiers there took a sponge, filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus.

Then, in a loud voice, Jesus cried out a second time and died.

The earth shook, rocks split, tombs broke open, and bodies of various holy people were raised to life.

When the centurion and those with him guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they believed that Jesus was the Son of God.

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Finally, Jesus' burial​
Before sunset, a wealthy man named Joseph went to Pontius Pilate to ask for Jesus' body, and Pilate agreed.

Joseph took Jesus' body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.

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Summary

Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice. He died on the cross for you and me.

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

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Why This Matters to Us

Injustice happens, but God can use it for His glory. Remember when Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt. That evil that was meant by men was turned into good by God. God works in ways we don't understand. As with Joseph, we should be reminded that even when men do evil, God can bring good out of it (Romans 8:28)

Jesus suffered willingly—not because He was weak, but because He was strong enough to endure it for us. Get comfort from the suffering Jesus went through to carry us through our trials. When we suffer wrongly, we look to Christ as our example (1 Peter 2:21-23).

Elvin

Jesus Carrying His Cross.

Ask God For Help

Christian faith

Reader,

Hosea said his people were destroyed for lack of knowledge. Knowledge give believers and non-believers a choice. When a person does not know, they cannot choose.

Feel free to forward this lesson to your friends and family.

Grow in the knowledge of God.

Elvin

Send your comments to elvin.aycock@AskGodForHelp.net and let me know what you think of the lessons.

Go to: www.AskGodForHelp.net

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