PRESSURE !

1) The PRESSURE of Temptation:

In John, Chapter 18, Jesus encounters one of the most pressure-packed, stress-filled moments of His life. Even the name of the garden, where he seeks strength and solace from the Father, provides an overwhelming metaphor for the moment. "Gethsemane" means "Oil Press". Jesus will be squeezed to the breaking point as he battles against Satan's final attempt to knock him off course. That old serpent tries to push Jesus toward a self-serving path of disobedience to God-the-Father.

Pressure is often the catalyst for transformation. Pressure in our lives reveals "who we are" at the very core of our being or should I say, "Whose we are".

In the movie "The Passion of the Christ" Mel Gibson depicts what I believe is the most triumphant moment in history, next to the "Resurrection of Jesus". In Gethsemane, we can see the agony of Jesus as He contemplates the cross and asks the Father if this cup might be taken away. Satan's serpentine temptation is slithering its' way toward Jesus. Suddenly, without warning, His foot comes crashing down on the snake's head. What a moment! The prophecy of Eden comes to the silver screen - "The serpent will bruise His heel but His heel will crush the serpent". At this critical juncture we have no doubt concerning Jesus' choice.

The pressure of this moment was the catalyst for "God-the-Son" as the "Son of Man" to perfectly embrace and assert His life of perfect obedience to "God-the-Father" by declaring, "Father, thy will be done!" Excruciating pain and suffering would follow but one of the toughest hurdles in history had been successfully cleared.

Pressure is part of everyone's life. It is a catylyst for building character if we let God help us. It can be a disaster if we try to navigate our way, through the pressure of stressful situations, without Him.


2) The PRESSURE to conform to this World:

In 2nd Chronicles, Chapter 33, we see that Hezekiah's humble walk with God, as one of Judah's greatest kings, is totally ignored by his son. When Manasseh takes the throne, after his father's death, he succumbs to the pressure exerted by the idolatrous nations surrounding them. He did evil in the sight of the Lord. He rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he raised up altars for the Baals, and made wooden idols. He also sacrificed his sons to the false god Molech by burning them to death. He practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritist. Manasseh seduced Judah to do more evil than the nations that God destroyed when they came into the promised land. The Apostle Paul warns us about this kind of pressure in Chapter 12 of his letter to the Romans. He says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, His good, pleasing, and perfect will."

3) The PRESSURE from our Human Nature:

In Malachi, Chapter 1, we are shown some examples of the pressure that can be exerted on each of us by our self-centered human nature. God's people are focused on their own affairs and have become weary of worship. Sensing and serving God, the essence of worship, had deteriorated into empty rituals devoid of meaning. Their was no longer any "worth-ship" placed on a relationship with their heavenly Father. They had ceased to reverence and honour Him. Their hearts were not in it. The sacrifices being offered were blemished. The people were keeping the best for themselves and giving God their rejects, the left-overs. A willingness or desire to resist the pressure of their selfish nature appears to be largely absent during this period.

4) The PRESSURE exerted by Truth:

In Revelation, Chapter 19, Jesus returns on a white horse as the "Lion of Judah", "King of Kings", and "Lord of Lords". He rides into the last battle to defeat all those who persist in their rebellion against Him. The messianic age of God's amazing grace, forgiveness, and loving patience will come to a close. God-the-Son is the "Truth". He is the "Word of God". If during this short life-time we ignor the pressure of "Truth" exerted by Him who is the"Truth" we are only deceiving ourselves. When we pass beyond this earthly existence, God's ultimate question will be, "What did you do concerning my Son?"