I was praying and wondering about how the disciples and women might have felt when Jesus died on the cross. Jesus, their hope, their strength, their stronghold whom they thought was going to rule the nation, their hope shattered on that cross. The women were in tears when they saw Jesus on the cross bleeding to death. How painful it must have been. How difficult it must have been for Peter, who denied Jesus 3 times, knowing that his greatest Friend was dying on the cross and he couldn’t do anything to save Him. And the disciples feeling that Jesus, Who was there with them teaching about God and about everything, was there no more. Think of that night right after Jesus died and the next day when they woke up and realized that the most important person in their life was no more. Some of them might not have slept that night. So many things to think about. Same thing goes for us too. Just look at yourself and observe. You have also felt the same feeling like the disciples…How have you ever felt hurt? Have you ever felt like the person who was the most important in your life is there no more? Have you felt that question of “Jesus where are You? What is going on in my life? I am hurt, wounded, there is no one in my life and Jesus where are You and what are You doing? I trusted You and I thought that You were going to be there forever with me but You are not. My situation is out of my hands and You are not there. You were my greatest hope. I feel alone. Where are You, Lord? And where are your promises?” We have that same feeling in our life, in our current situations, in our families, in our relationships, in our work, in our careers…thinking “what is going on?!” But do you know what Jesus was doing after He died on that cross? He went into the abyss and He proclaimed that death is no more, that sins have no control over His chosen ones anymore, that the devil has no right over His children. And the greatest miracle was that He resurrected from the dead after 3 days! Can you even imagine that? Did the disciples even think that could ever happen? They said they believed, but did they? They went back to their own work after Jesus died. They didn’t believe it but Jesus resurrected from the dead and He restored the lost hope of the disciples and proclaimed “I am here and it is all right, your life is going to change forever from here on.” Likewise, resurrection is going to come in your life, in your career, in your relationships, in your family, in your health and that is going to transform your life. You are going to change completely. So, don’t feel discouraged that things are not going right. Right now, Jesus is making a way. He is preparing for something beautiful and amazing which is going to transform your life completely. Trust in Him and have faith in Him totally. Jesus was in control, is in control and will forever will be in control and He was there for you yesterday, He is here for you now and He will be with you forever.

I was going through John 19, where the chapter speaks about The Crown of Thorns. In this chapter, Jesus is before Pilate. Pilate finds no guilt in Him and tells the crowd that he cannot find any fault in Jesus, yet the crowd still forces him to crucify Him. Again, Pilate asks Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus didn’t reply. (Why didn’t Jesus reply? Why didn’t He just simply say, “I am from Nazareth”? I believe He didn’t find it necessary to answer such a question. Likewise, we don’t need to respond to everything when there are troubles. Didn’t Pilate already know where Jesus was from? I think he definitely did, but he asked anyway—perhaps just to start a conversation. Jesus, however, chose silence. In the same way, when unnecessary things or unnecessary people enter our lives and try to probe us, sometimes the best response is to let it go.) Then Pilate says in verse 10: “Do You not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” This is similar to what people might say to us in life, though the situation may be different. At work, your boss might say, “You’re here because of me, and I can fire you anytime I want.” Or someone might say, “You only have this because of me, and I can take it away.” Whether it’s wealth, health, education, status, or relationships—we sometimes fear when people make such claims. But look at Jesus’ response to Pilate, even though He was in excruciating pain, with countless wounds, and a crown of thorns on His head. He spoke because it was necessary to speak. (In the same way, we should speak only when it’s necessary—when a statement is untrue or when we need to reveal the truth.) Jesus answered in verse 11: “You would have no authority over Me unless it had been given you from above.” Jesus revealed the truth: Pilate had no real power. God allowed Jesus to be crucified, to wear the crown of thorns, and to bear the wounds—not Pilate. It was all God’s plan. Pilate was just a medium, a pawn in God’s greater design. God was in control. In the same way, when you are a believer, when you believe that Jesus is your Savior, then no person and no devil has authority over you. None. The good and bad things that happen in your life are under God’s control. (I’m not talking about sin here. God never allows sin; sin comes from our own desires and has its own consequences. What I’m talking about are challenges—heartbreak, loss, disease, trials. The devil has no authority over you. Only God allows these things, and He allows them for a reason.) We see another example of this in the book of Job. In Job 1:8, God says to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth.” God delights in Job, but Satan, as the accuser, challenges Job’s faith: “Job only worships You because You’ve blessed him. Remove his blessings, and he will curse You.” Notice—Satan could not act on his own. He had to ask for permission. In the same way, Satan may accuse believers today. But we are washed by the blood of Jesus, and our sins are forgiven. Jesus is proud of us, saying to the devil, “See? My servant worships Me.” Then Satan may challenge: “Take away their job, health, or relationships, and they will curse You.” So what do we do when trials come? Do we curse God? Or do we respond like Job? In Job 1:13–19, Job lost his wealth, his livestock, and most devastating of all—his children. Some might say, “God is cruel for allowing this.” But God did not directly cause it; the devil did. God simply allowed it. Now, put yourself in Job’s place. Have you lost someone you loved? Have you lost your job? Gone through heartbreak, sickness, or financial crisis? How did you respond? Did you curse God? Did you ask, “Why, Lord?” Job’s response is profound. In Job 1:21, he says: Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Job was devastated, but his faith remained firm. He knew everything he had came from God, and his faith was not rooted in material blessings. What about us? On what is our faith in Jesus based? Is it based on wealth, health, or miracles? If our faith rests only on what God gives us, then when those things are taken away, our faith will crumble. But if our faith is rooted in the cross and in God’s unchanging love, then even when everything is stripped away, we will still say, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” That is why God sometimes allows challenges: To glorify His name among the principalities. To make your faith stronger. To test the foundation of your faith. And when you choose to trust God in trials: Satan is defeated. God is glorified. Your faith grows stronger. Just as Job was blessed even more after his trials, you too will be strengthened and blessed when you endure. So, check your heart. What is your faith built on? Be prepared to grow stronger, because this world is not our home—it’s a battlefield. As Ephesians 6 reminds us, put on the full armor of God: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God), and prayer. God bless you.