Young People’s Blog

“Yea, Mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted…hath lifted up his heel against Me” (Psalm 41:9).

Have you ever heard the expression, “Beware the ides of March?” The word “ides” is Latin, and in Roman times, it referred to the 15th day of the months of March, May, July, and October. Away back in the year 44 B.C., Julius Caesar, who held supreme power in Rome, was assassinated by a group of senators on March 15. Supposedly someone who knew about the plot warned Caesar to “beware the ides of March.” It is doubtful whether anyone actually gave him this warning, but it found its way into legend because it was used in Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar. One of those who aided in his assassination was Marcus Brutus, who was supposed to be Caesar’s friend.

About 74 years later, in 29 A.D., the Lord Jesus was betrayed by one of His followers—Judas Iscariot. But the Lord Jesus did not need any warning about Judas, for He knew well what Judas would do. Although his name is not mentioned, our verse for today describes him, and it was written about 1,000 years before Judas lived. Like the other disciples, Judas had spent several years with the Lord Jesus, and had worked with Him. Yet he was not a saved soul, and when the opportunity came, he sold his Master for thirty pieces of silver.

“And he [Herod] sent, and beheaded John in the prison…And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus” (Matthew 14:10,12).

“And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told Him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught” (Mark 6:30).

Here we find two different groups of people who approached the Lord Jesus, probably about the same time. They brought two very different kinds of news to Him, too. The apostles (or disciples) had just returned from a very successful mission of preaching, healing, and casting out devils. No doubt they were happy to report to the Lord Jesus what they had done.

But the disciples of John the Baptist came to report that Herod had just beheaded the one they followed. They knew where to go for sympathy and comfort! John the Baptist had been a most faithful man, and had told the people that the Lord Jesus was coming. But now his work was done, and God allowed the wicked King Herod to behead him.

The Lord Jesus understood both His own disciples, when they were glad, and John’s disciples, when they were sad. He understands us too, whether we go to Him when we are happy, or whether we are sad. He can appreciate our happiness, or comfort us in any sadness in our life.

“No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11).

When I was growing up, there was an older brother who often used to impress this verse on us. Of course, we cannot really walk uprightly until we are truly saved and have a new life in Christ. But as Christians, we can walk uprightly before the Lord, or we can allow our old sinful nature to act, and walk in a wrong way.

The Lord wants to give us good things, and if we walk uprightly, He appreciates this. Our verse does not mean that the Lord will give us everything we want, but rather He will give us what is good for us. But just as parents like to give good things to an obedient child, so the Lord values those of His children who walk uprightly.

Parents love their children even when they are not good, and the Lord never stops loving His children either, even if they behave badly. However, when we walk to please Him, we enjoy His company, and He delights to give us good things. He wants a warm and happy relationship with us!

“And when He [the Lord Jesus] was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed Him that he might be with Him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee” (Mark 5:18-19).

“Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am” (John 17:24).

The man who had been possessed by many demons wanted to be with the Lord Jesus, after the demons were cast out of him. But the Lord Jesus had work for him to do, and instead of allowing the man to get into the ship with Him, He told him to go and tell his friends what the Lord had done for him. The Lord Jesus needed someone there who would tell others about Him. Happily, the man was obedient, and it tells us that “all men did marvel” (Mark 5:20).

The Lord Jesus does want us to be with Him, and He expresses that wish in His prayer to His Father in our second verse for today. He is coming soon, and then we will be with Him forever. But now is the time to serve Him, and to enjoy His presence by faith. He is always with us in this way, but soon we will see Him face to face.

“These are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful” (Mark 4:18-19).

The Lord Jesus explained things in parables to the people, and here we find a man sowing grain. It fell on different kinds of soil, and some fell on ground where thorns grew. The thorns are compared to the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches. But notice that the cares of this world are mentioned first. Why is this?

It is because the cares of this world are necessary, to some extent, in our lives. We need to go to school, we need to learn how to earn our living, and later, when we grow up, we need to work to support ourselves. All this is good, but we must be careful not to allow these necessary duties to overtake our lives to the point where no time is left for the Lord.

Often, Satan uses the cares of this world to keep people from coming to Christ to be saved, but he can use those same cares to make us unfruitful as Christians too. We need to be on guard for this.

“Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of Me this night: for it is written, I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad” (Matthew 26:31).

The Lord Jesus was going to the cross, and that night Judas would bring a band of soldiers to arrest Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew that all His disciples would forsake Him, and would be offended. The word “offended” means that the situation would stumble them, or trap them, and perhaps be so hard for them that they would be tempted to sin by denying the Lord. We know that this actually happened, for all the disciples ran away when the Lord Jesus was arrested. Later John and Peter came back and went into the palace of the high priest, but then Peter ended up denying his Lord.

The disciples loved the Lord Jesus, but they did not want Him to go to the cross and die. They did not understand that this was the only way that sin could be put away, so that we could be saved. The Lord Jesus knew that He must go through it all alone; no one could follow Him to the cross, for only He could bear the punishment for sin.

“And again a crowd comes together, so that they cannot even eat bread. And His [the Lord Jesus’] relatives having heard of it went out to lay hold on Him, for they said, He is out of His mind” (Mark 3:20-21 JND).

This is a rather shocking verse to read about the Lord Jesus. The relatives of the Lord Jesus, quite possibly some of his brothers, decided that He was allowing too many people to approach Him, and actually said among themselves that He was “out of His mind.” This was very disrespectful and rude, but they did not yet realize who He was.

It is true that the Lord Jesus was “mobbed” by crowds of people who wanted healing, but the Lord Jesus was always in control of Himself. He knew how to avoid the crowds, if necessary, and to go away to be by Himself. But He had come to help the lost sheep of Israel, and He felt sorry for all those people who were in need. Yes, it was sometimes hard for the Lord Jesus and His disciples even to have a meal, but He loved all those people, and wanted them to feel welcome.

“For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet” (1 Corinthians 15:25).

We saw yesterday that unbelievers in this world will sometimes overcome any difficulties between themselves in order to reject and get rid of the Lord Jesus. This is very sad, but we see from today’s verse that God is going to see to it that the Lord Jesus eventually has the first place. After He has come back and taken all the true believers home to be with Himself, He will then judge this world. That will be a very awful time, as all those who have rejected Him will be considered to be His enemies and will be punished.

When the Lord Jesus came into this world as a man, He presented Himself as the rightful King. He was rejected, but in our verse today it says that “He must reign.” He will come back in power and glory and take the place that was not given to Him nearly 2,000 years ago. It will be an awful time for those who have rejected Him, but you and I will be happy to see Him given the honor of which He is worthy.

“And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him” (Mark 3:6).

“And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves” (Luke 23:12).

Normally the Pharisees did not like those who followed Herod, for the Pharisees were Jewish leaders. The Herod family were descendants of Esau, and had managed to gain the favor of the Romans, and had ended up being rulers over much of the land of Israel. Also, Pilate and Herod were not normally friends; they did not like one another. They were usually competing for influence and power.

However, when it came to the Lord Jesus, people who did not like one another joined together to reject the Lord Jesus. This world does not want the Lord Jesus, and the people of this world will overcome their differences in order to be against the Lord Jesus. This is very sad, but we must be prepared for it. The world will put up with almost anything rather than have the Lord Jesus given His rightful place.

“Then the same day at evening…came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you…Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord” (John 20:19-20).

The disciples had a very difficult time when the Lord Jesus was crucified. They had not expected this to happen, but it was all in God’s plan for their salvation. However, when He had risen from the dead, the Lord Jesus came right into the room where they were, and said to them, “Peace be unto you.” They knew who He was, and His presence meant peace to them.

As I write this in March 2022, the world is in serious turmoil because of the Russian invasion of the Ukraine. So far there has been bloodshed on both sides, and many people are deeply concerned that it will end up in another World War. While we all may suffer somewhat from all this, you and I can listen to the Lord’s voice saying, “Peace be unto you.” Whatever happens in this world cannot touch our eternal security, nor the joy we have in Christ. Let us be happy like the disciples, when we can see the Lord. Of course, we cannot see Him with our eyes, but by faith we can trust Him, and see Him looking after us. All this is going to work out God’s purposes, and we can rest in that.