Matthew 26:62-68 Coming on the Clouds of Heaven
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: September 6, 2019 Matthew 26:62-68
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”
(Revelation of God) This trial demonstrates how sinful man can totally misunderstand God. The council was busy trying to figure out how they could cheat their way into a guilty verdict when all they had to do was ask Jesus whether He was the Messiah. Since it was the truth and it was the time for a direct answer, He answered, “Yes.” The council wasted a lot of time trying to finagle a guilty verdict because they believed that God was just like them. They believed that Jesus was either a conman working on the same principles that they did and would try to save His own skin by wiggling around the issues, or they believed that He really was the Messiah, but their idea of Messiah was of a worldly power. Also, they had asked Him directly in public before, and He had not answered.
(Understanding the Text) When Jesus affirmed that He was the Messiah, the high priest did not stop and think about whether this was true or not. He did not stop to think that he might be confronting the power of God Himself. He just continued the charade that he had instigated when he had started pushing forward plans to get rid of Jesus. He was so blinded by his own lies that he could not recognize truth when it was standing before him.
(Revelation of God) Two high priests faced each other that day. One was the most corrupt version of a high priest imaginable, who had obtained his office illegitimately through bribery and connections to power while the other was in the process of earning His position through love and sacrifice. One was the symbolic position that pointed to the other who was the true reality. A high priest was to be the intercessor between God’s power and man’s weakness. Jesus was already filling that role as He faced the earthly high priest.
(Application / Prayer) Jesus gave the high priest the truth that the high priest’s pride of position was nothing compared to the position that Jesus would one day display. The high priest was proud of His special clothing and fancy houses and command of his people, but Jesus was telling him that those tokens of respect that he was so proud of were as dirt compared to the true glory of the position. Jesus’ words fell on deaf ears. The proud priest could not conceive that the man before him could be the Power over him. Our preconceptions can blind us and make us deaf. I pray not to let my preconceptions blind me to You and Your working in my life.
The actions that they did next are incomprehensible to me, yet I know that there are many humans who act this way. That kind of senseless cruelty just doesn’t compute in my brain. I know that they had rejected the love of God so much that they were under the control of Satan, who was trying to make Jesus reject humans, but it is still difficult to imagine people who thought that that kind of behavior was acceptable and were not ashamed of themselves for those kinds of actions. Senseless cruelty bewilders me even though I know intellectually that we are all capable of it without the restraining love of God in our lives. I pray to never be cruel to others or to You. I pray to keep your love in my heart.