I was intrigued by a show on TV called Undercover Boss….A company owner would go “in disguise” and see what was truly happening at his businesses when people thought that no one was watching…..

 

In some cases, people would be fired.  In other cases, people would be reprimanded.  But more often than I might have thought, the boss caught his employees being loyal, hard-working, and even incredible.

 

On one particular episode, the boss discovered the awful conditions that he truly put an employee into each and every day….and he was shocked that the employee worked incredibly hard to do exactly what was required of him.

 

In many of the shows, the employees told the “undercover boss” how hard it truly was to work in his very company.

 

Many of us experience this.  We are sometimes put in hard situations and wonder if our superiors truly know what they are putting us through.

 

 

It is at this point that I bring up the incredible story of the gospel….

 

And the reality that someday we are going to stand before a perfect God and give an account.

 

On that fateful day….we will be able to say a lot of things.

 

We will be able to say that life was tough.

We will be able to say that the temptations we crumbled to were very hard to avoid.

We will be able to say that we really tried.

 

But here is what we won’t be able to say:

  • We won’t be able to say to Him that He doesn’t know what it’s like to be in our shoes.
  • We won’t be able to say that He put us in conditions that no one could have handled.
  • We won’t be able to say that He had no idea what we had to go through.

 

 

Born illegitimate, His father married His mom only after a radical encounter with an angel.

 

Before He could even speak, a powerful boss put a hit on Him.  Slaughtering kids His age in an attempt to wipe away His very existence.

 

As He grew, He would be the subject of being an unimportant peasant trying to succeed under a governmental rule that would intimidate, bully, and execute anyone who would even question their policies.  He would also be the subject of a religious hierarchy where He would never be respected due to His race, His status, and His career.

 

In spite of this, He would find favor.  He would convict and deliver.  He would heal and redeem.  He would flourish and be wise beyond His years.

 

Though He would have no political power, no money, and no military influence…He would somehow find a way to challenge unjust authority, to provide for those in need, and to influence powerful leaders.  He actually had rapport with many…..and those who challenged Him were humiliated and rebuked…..

 

 

And yet…..in spite of all of this……He would arrive unrecognized among a people who should have seen Him coming.  He would be betrayed, denied, and abandoned by the very people He had saved.  He would be given one of the most unfair trials a person could face, beaten within an inch of His life before anyone even could find He had done wrong, and sentenced to execution in order to free a political insurgent due to the fear of a man who wanted to get through an ugly situation without any incident.

 

 

And so…..He was mocked, beaten, and executed between two thieves in about the most gruesome way that you could kill someone.

 

 

And why on earth did He do that?  I will tell you why….He was doing it because He was the best leader of all time.

 

When Pilate was not even taking responsibility for himself, Jesus was taking responsibility for ALL OF US.

 

When Pilate was afraid of what things looked like, Jesus was staring fear in the face and standing up to the most incredible evil the world has ever known KNOWING THAT HE WAS GOING TO LOSE THE FIGHT.

 

When Pilate was asking “what is truth?”, Jesus was being THE TRUTH.

 

When Pilate was being arrogant, Jesus was being HUMBLE.

 

When Pilate was worrying about what others would think, Jesus was only worrying about what ONE PERSON WOULD THINK:

 

YOU.

 

And that’s because You were the very intent of the cross.  He wanted to come down and show you that He knows what it is like to be here.  He knows what it is like to have pain and betrayal and a lack of recognition.  He knows what it is like to be poor, to be illegitimate, to be in the wrong clique.  He knows what is like to be betrayed and abandoned and doubted.

 

So take your chances with what you might want to say then when you face Him if you want to….because He has given you the freedom to do WHATEVER YOU WANT.

 

But I choose LIFE.

I CHOOSE TRUTH.

I CHOOSE THE KINGDOM AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE KING OF THE KINGDOM.

 

HE IS THE LORD OF LORDS AND THE KING OF KINGS.

THE EARTH IS HIS FOOTSTOOL AND EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW AND EVERY TONGUE CONFESS THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD.

 

 

 

In The Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

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Coach J