Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
Did you know that Jesus was arrested one time and taken to court? Have you ever been arrested and taken to court? It's a scary experience. The police in Jerusalem arrested Jesus on the charge that He should be put in prison, yes, and even executed because He had publicly broken the Sabbath. The rulers at the time argued that He was destroying the very foundation of their nationhood. The story is in John 5.
What happened is that Jesus had seen a sick man who was very discouraged because he had been sick for 38 years. Time after time he had hoped he might be healed, only to be disappointed again and again. Jesus felt sorry for him, and healed him. He told him, "Pick up your mat and go home." When the Jewish leaders saw the man doing this they rebuked him. He shot back, "The same man who healed me told me to do this--so it has to be OK." "Who healed you?" they demanded to know. The man didn't know who Jesus was, but later Jesus found him and told him not to sin again lest something worse happen to him. Then the men went straight to the authorities and told them it was Jesus who had healed him. That's how the arrest came about.
But Jesus was no tame prisoner. When the Jewish leaders in the courtroom accused Him, He turned around and accused them in powerful and eloquent words, and boldly claimed that He had come from God and that God is His Father. His accusers were silenced. Then Jesus said something that we must look at today. In verse 30 He said: "I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me." That was the secret. Jesus said NO! to His own will so that He might say YES! to His Father's will for Him.
You and I are always tempted to want our own way in everything. But that always makes us selfish. We can learn a beautiful lesson today from Jesus: the lesson of saying NO! to self, and saying YES! to the Holy Spirit. Jesus opens a window into His own heart and shows us that He was tempted just like we are tempted. But He said NO to that temptation to have His own way. And we can learn from Him. Then what happens? We become happy!
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: 1994 Phone Message.
Copyright © 2011 by "Dial Daily Bread.”
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" Web site resides at: http://1888message.org/dailybread/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to:dailybread@1888message.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
