Jesus Crucified​ (Matt 27:32-56)​

by | Mar 24, 2024 | Sarah Choo, • Timely Word •

Jesus Crucified​

Matt 27:32-56​

The passage on Jesus’ crucifixion is a familiar passage to many of us. However, this time when I read it again, the word “CHOICE” kept ringing in my mind. Throughout the journey that led to Jesus’ crucifixion on the cross and even as He hung on the cross, there were multiple times that Jesus could have exercised His authority and power as the Son of God to avoid the suffering. He was attacked on all fronts – physically, mentally and emotionally, all of which He did not deserve. Yet, He did not yield. What kept Him from exercising that right, and instead choose to go through the crucifixion on our behalf?​​

Jesus had great clarity on why He was on earth. He knew that He was here to do the will of His Father, despite His own emotions. “Not as I will, but as you will,” He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39). He knew His purpose, that His crucifixion and resurrection would reconcile us to God and give us eternal life. He knew that there was something far more glorious that would come after the pain and suffering. ​

Jesus was fully yielded to His Father. I believe this came from the deep intimacy and security of knowing that He was dearly loved by His Father. At His baptism, even before His ministry began, He received the affirmation from His Father who declared from heaven, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

Jesus chose to be crucified for us as He knew the heart of His Father. He did not need to prove Himself, gain the approval of men or justify Himself as He was fully secure in the love of His Father. ​​

Were there times when we felt that we needed to do certain things to prove our worth, to behave in a certain way to gain the approval of men or to say certain things to justify ourselves? Jesus has removed the need for these when He hung on the cross for us. We are worthy, approved and justified in Him. He has redeemed us and set us free because of His CHOICE to be crucified for us. ​​

When attacked on all fronts in whatever situation we are in, we can CHOOSE to crucify our human, natural response that causes us to react from a place of anger, defeat and hopelessness. Instead, we can CHOOSE to remember the hope that we have in Jesus’ crucifixion, that He has overcome and we can be overcomers in Him. ​​

Will we, too, choose to crucify our flesh for God to shine through us? Will we choose to find our security in the love of our Father and yield to the bigger purpose He has for our lives? ​​

As we reflect about the Cross this Lent, may we come in full surrender to Him and ask Jesus for help to crucify our old nature so that we can overcome our suffering just as He did.​

By sister Sarah Choo​

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Signs And Symbols Of Hope

by | Mar 17, 2023 | Sarah Choo, • Timely Word •

SIGNS AND SYMBOLS OF HOPE

… “My soul magnifies the Lord,

And my spirit rejoices in

God my Saviour…”

Luke 1: 46,47

Mary was a young teenage girl when she conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit. For a teenager to have her life disrupted in this unexpected manner, she could have lamented and maybe even become bitter about it. Instead, her relationship with God helped her to see the hope we can have in God as seen in Luke 1:46 – 55.

Instead of being despondent, Mary could magnify the Lord and rejoice in Him because she recognized that she was just a simple girl from a humble background. Yet God chose her to be the mother of the Saviour who would bring hope. When she looked back, she was able to trace God’s fingerprints to see the great things He had done in her life. She was not overwhelmed by the situation she was in because she knew that God is a merciful God. For those who fear Him, He will always be there in their time of need.

Are we also in situations that are causing us to feel discouraged, overwhelmed or even bitter? We too have a choice not to look at the negativity of our situation but at our merciful God who loves us. When we do that, our eyes too can be opened and our hearts filled with hope that no matter what situation we are in, God can use it for something bigger and greater when  we  are willing.  He can use our five loaves  and two fish to be a blessing to many. If our hearts are open, we will look back and be able to see that He has been faithfully walking with us and have done wonderful things in our lives. This is why we can be assured that He is a God who is full of mercy and grace and will not abandon us in our time of need. This is why we can place our hope in Him.

If you are feeling downcast today, let’s remember what our God says in Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV),

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

He is working in ways that we may not be able to see yet. However, as we hope in Him, we will be able to “go out in joy and be led forth in peace.” (Isaiah 55: 12a)

Let us take the first step to make this choice to look to Him and not at our circumstances so that our hearts too can be filled with hope and joy.

By sister Sarah Choo

The Lord Surrounds His People

by | Apr 8, 2022 | Sarah Choo, • Timely Word •

Psalm 125 (ESV)

1Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people,
from this time forth and forevermore.
3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
on the land allotted to the righteous,
lest the righteous stretch out
their hands to do wrong.
4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
and to those who are upright in their hearts!
5 But those who turn aside to their crooked ways
the Lord will lead away with evildoers!
Peace be upon Israel!

As I read Psalm 125, the word “surrounds” in verse 2 stood out for me. It reminds me of the testimony of a Scottish missionary, John G. Paton. Paton was a missionary in the 1800s who had gone to the New Hebrides (a chain of islands in the South Pacific) to evangelise to the natives who were steeped in witchcraft and cannibalism.

One night, the mission headquarters was surrounded by the natives who were intent on burning and slaying him and his wife. The couple turned to the Lord in prayer throughout the night. The next morning, their attackers had fled and the couple praised the Lord with grateful hearts. Almost a year later, the chief of the tribe surrendered his life to Jesus. Paton remembered the incident and asked the chief what prevented the natives from killing him and his wife that night. The chief answered that they had seen hundreds of big men, all dressed in white with drawn swords in their hands, standing guard outside the headquarters. Seeing these armed guards encircling the headquarters scared the attackers off.

In 2 Kings 6:15-17, Elisha and his servant also witnessed how the Lord had surrounded them with horses and chariots to protect them from their enemies. How true it is that those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion. They cannot be moved. It does not mean that there will be no suffering nor testing. As believers, we will still face trials and tribulations. However, the Lord promises that when we place our trust in Him, we are not alone. He will surround us and deliver us.

A few years ago, our family went through an ordeal that rocked our lives. At the time, we could not share with anyone or ask for prayers or help. It almost felt that we were facing this situation alone with God. However, He showed us very quickly that we were not alone. He surrounded us with prayer warriors, such as a group of sisters who were prompted by the Holy Spirit to pray for us despite us not knowing the situation we were in. With the intercession of these prayer warriors, the Lord delivered us from harm’s way.

“As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore” – Psalm 125:2

Let us continue to turn to the Lord and place our trust in Him. He alone is our rock and our salvation and we will not be shaken (Psalm 62:2).

– By sister Sarah Choo

Reflection Questions

  • How has God kept you from danger?
  • The psalm says that the Lord surrounds His people. When have you felt surrounded by God?

Heart’s Cries to Heart’s Praise

by | Mar 16, 2021 | Sarah Choo, • Timely Word •

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me from the words of my groaning?” – Psalm 22:1

“You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.” – Psalm 22:23-24

When I read Psalm 22, I was amazed by how quickly in one Psalm, David went from the heaviness of feeling forsaken by the Lord to the uplifted spirit of praising the Lord and placing his full trust in Him! I am sure that there are periods in our lives that we might feel the same way too, that God has not heard our groaning and it is so hard to lift our spirits from that miry clay. How did David move from despair to hope and awe?

As I reflected on David’s life and his relationship with our God, I thought of the many times that he was in a place of desperation. During those moments, despite his strong faith in God, David was willing to acknowledge how vulnerable and weak he felt and brought it to God honestly instead of pretending he was fine. He chose to turn to God and shared his raw emotions with God knowing that he would not be condemned. It is only through this openness with our Heavenly Father that God can come into work in those painful areas in our lives.

However, David did not just stop at pouring out his heart to the Lord. He chose to fix his eyes on who God is and on His faithfulness – and not on the circumstances he was in. He made a choice to focus on what was true and eternal instead of the temporal. And more than that, David made a choice to praise God in the midst of the painful experiences.

While reading a Lent devotional, I was reminded that this was what Jesus did too, when instituting the Lord’s Supper. He gave thanks for his body that would be broken for us and his blood that was going to be shed for us. Even with full awareness of the suffering he would bear, Jesus gave thanks. And on the cross, he showed us that it is possible to fix our eyes on God even when we are in pain.

Our God can turn our heart’s cries to our heart’s praises. He can take us out of the miry clay and set our feet upon the solid rock that is built on Him alone.

 

Reflection Questions:

1.Are we willing to openly talk to God about our struggles and disappointments?

2.Will we open up our hearts to allow the Holy Spirit to minister to us as we fix our eyes on God instead of our circumstances?

By sister Sarah Choo

Journey to the Cross: Weep not…

by | Mar 22, 2020 | Sarah Choo, • Timely Word •

When Jesus was being led to the place of his crucifixion, a great multitude of people followed him. In their midst were women who were mourning and lamenting for him. When Jesus saw them, despite his own pain and suffering, he told them not to weep for him but to weep for themselves and their children.

Why were these women weeping? Why were they in such great distress? They knew what Jesus was about to face. They knew that Jesus, an innocent man, was going to be punished in one of the most painful and humiliating ways, betrayed by his own people who would rather allow a murderer like Barabbas be released, than to have Jesus set free. They knew that Jesus would be crucified in his loin cloths, with all dignity taken away from him. They knew that Jesus had to endure the unfairness and mockery of those persecuting him even though he had done no wrong. This is our suffering God. Our God who suffered and endured the cross for us, for our salvation.

Have we been believers for so long that we sometimes take the suffering of Christ for granted? Have we forgotten the pain, humiliation and suffering He went through so that we could be saved? May we never take the pain he endured for us for granted.

Because we know the second part of the story, the resurrection and hope we have in Christ; we do not have to weep like those women wept. Instead, we can choose to live our lives differently because his suffering has exchanged for us, our eternal freedom, when we believed in him. So, let us live a life that glorifies our God and make his sacrifice count.

Even towards his death, Jesus’ heart was not for himself but for us. In the midst of the pain he was going through, he cared not for himself but for the souls of all who face the danger of eternal separation from God. He knew that after his death, he would be resurrected and glorified. However, he knew that there was something scarier coming for those who do not believe in him and choose to walk in their own ways. They will face an eternal fiery furnace where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:42,50). They will face suffering that will never end.

During this period of COVID-19, many of us are vigilant about what we need to do and will heed the advice of the authorities to stay safe. If we know how to take care of our temporal earthly bodies, should we not pay more attention to Jesus’ caution about what happens to our eternal bodies? Do we need to repent for choosing to walk in our ways and not in His?

During this season of Lent, may we once again remember the suffering our Lord Jesus endured for us. May we choose to respond in gratitude and repentance, and may we care for the salvation of others, just as he did, all the way till his death on the cross, and even now, after his resurrection.

By Sarah Choo (YCKC Bulletin 22 March 2020)

Happily Ever After?

by | Jun 2, 2019 | Sarah Choo, • Timely Word •

A few days ago, I was talking to my girls about why we humans like to collect things. The things we collect can range from small items like stuffed animals and toys to bigger items like cars, houses and maybe even intellectual achievements like certificates. When discussing why we have this need to collect things, the conclusion we came to was simple – it makes us happy. It brings satisfaction to have the latest phone or the newest designer bag. In this highly stressful and demanding world we live in, we seek anything that can bring us pleasure.

Unfortunately, we fall into the trap of adding marriage to one of our bucket list items to tick off as something that will make us happy. Sadly, when “wanting to be happy” is the main motivation behind our marriage, it causes us to fall into this trap of consumerism that if we are not happy, it means this is not the right marriage and we need to find a better partner to make us happy.

In his book, Sacred Marriage, Gary Thomas posed this question – What if God’s primary intent for our marriage isn’t to make us happy but to make  us holy? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think God doesn’t want us to enjoy marriage. In fact, He does! Because our earthly marriages reflect the relationship we have with God our bridegroom. Just as He desires for us to enjoy our relationship with Him, He desires for us to have the same intimate and close relationship with our spouse and to enjoy this union. A truly happy marriage can only exist when two people are willing to openly share their lives with each other and to journey through life together.

However, such an intimate relationship doesn’t come naturally. It takes effort. In Ephesians 4:2, we are reminded to walk together “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love”. Having an intimate marriage can be painful, because it requires us to humbly acknowledge that we are sinful creatures with sinful desires and behaviours. Marriage has a way of bringing that out – and many of us do not want to face this ugly truth about ourselves. Instead, we often choose to point our fingers at our partner, thinking that when they change, everything will be alright.

However, when we are willing to acknowledge the truth of our sinfulness to ourselves and our spouse, it gives us freedom to be vulnerable before each other and to journey together to overcome our weaknesses. It allows us to come before God together for help and it helps us appreciate the patience and grace shown to us by our spouse despite our imperfections.

As believers, we have been instructed to “Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves.” (Romans 12:10, NIV) This applies to our relationship with our spouse too. We need to learn to look beyond our own needs and their failures and honour them by recognising the gifts God has blessed them with to complement ours and the times that they have stood by us despite our flaws.

Marriage can bring us happiness and fulfilment when we are willing to let God use it to help us grow to be more like Him. It may be painful at times but like a familiar slogan puts it “No pain, No gain”. Let’s not treat marriage like another consumer product that we replace when it no longer brings us satisfaction. Instead, if God does lead us into marriage, let us value it as a part of our discipleship process and treasure our relationship with our spouse through life’s ups and downs together.

By Sarah Choo (YCKC Bulletin 2 June 2019)