JOHN NINETEEN

Hello my dear friends!!

You are all very greatly missed. I just got back from Florida yesterday... I wish I was still there and started my first day of class today... :( YUCK! I had a lot of fun down in Florida with Andy visiting his family- they are too funny! We went parasailing, jet skiing and banana boating yesterday, regardless to say I am extremely tender and sore all over today, NO fun. I hope everyone is doing well- I miss you all and can't wait to see your pretty faces again. I will put pictures up sometime soon.

Alrighty... so I definitely got the most depressing chapter but it was very moving while I studied it. Chapter 19 discusses the crucifixion of Jesus. The Jews mocked and jeered at Jesus telling Pilate to crucify him. Pilate knew deep in his heart though that Jesus was just not any other man, I believe that Pilate came to that stage of questioning when you know that there is something other than what is being said- when you know deep down that there is something more. Pilate asked Jesus where he came from and told him that if Jesus refused to speak to him, Pilate had the power to crucify Jesus. What a tough position he was put in... As Pilate was 'ruler' of the people he knew that Jesus was the King of Jews and yet he did not want the people to turn against him either.
To me, that was like a sign of something that we struggle through in our lives too. In our personal relationship with God. We suffer from the worldly and selfish desires of ourselves when we know that it is not pleasing to God, yet do we still do it? Pilate gave his efforts in telling the people that the real king was Jesus and that He was the king of the Jews.

The death of Jesus was definitely hard to read- I immediately felt guilty. I know that my sins were paid for at the cost of the death of Jesus. Jesus had died before the others and the Jews did not want the bodies to be held up on the day of sabbath (which I found kind of ironic) and were going to break the legs so that the crucified would die faster. When they reached Jesus though- they found that He was already dead and it was witnessed that not a single bone of His body was broken. The passage just shows to me the even greater mysteries of God and His power. It reminded me of the time my family was in Brazil- we were in a severe bus accident and all we had to rely on was the power of God. We were completely helpless- we had to give our everything to Him. God has provided in the times we need it, not accordingly to us but to His plans.

Seldom we think about the wonders and gifts that God has provided us. We quickly and often forget this precious life that God has given us is a treasure and our purpose here in life. This passage was definitely a good reminder to me of what it is like to be completely helpless and alone- to remind me of the things that I really need to look upon and depend on; God.

Well hopefully I shed some reflection the chapter- please let me know your insights, it could be completely and totally different from mine :)

love you all
d-sizzle.