What You Should Know About Easter

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:1-2 ESV).

Today is a great day to look at the essentials of Easter. Please understand that I have absolutely no problem with the celebration of Easter with beautifully colored eggs (I like them filled with chocolate, please); pictures made with the Easter Bunny; or any other activity that allows us to celebrate this incredible day in our faith. It is a perfect time to announce the arrival of spring. However, beyond jellybeans and warm sunshine, we must remember and rejoice in the new life that is ours because of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins and triumph over the grave. And, we should be intentional about helping our children know that there is more to this time of year than chocolate bunnies and marshmallow peeps. So, here are four key things to teach our children this Easter. 1. First, we should be very careful to teach the Gospel. We should begin with creation and the sin of Adam and Eve. We should read some of the covenant promises in the Old Testament and prophecies about the Messiah (cf. Isaiah 53). We ought to read about the birth, baptism, and ministry of Jesus. The crucifixion narrative should also be read and discussed. All of this information gives the foundation for faith. 2. Second, we should teach the importance of the Resurrection (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:16-19). Go through this passage with your children and teach them how crucial the resurrection is to our salvation. Teach them that Christ rose from the grave because he was the perfect Son of God. The grave could not hold him. He conquered sin and death. Not only that, his resurrection assures our own future bodily resurrection. 3. Third, we should teach that Jesus is the Passover Lamb for all men. It is no coincidence that Jesus suffered and died during the Passover. Teach your children the significance of this. Read the story of the original Passover. Show them how the Passover in Exodus points to Jesus, and how because of Jesus we are freed from God’s righteous judgment. 4. Fourth, Easter is also a great time to teach your children some of the central themes of the Bible. Talk about how Jesus perfectly obeyed his Father in all things. Talk about the sacrifices made in the Old Testament and why they were not sufficient to atone for our sins. Discuss why Jesus was a perfect sacrifice for us at the cross and that it was sufficient for all time. Talk about what it means to redeem or buy back something. Candy and bunnies are fine. However, we should also make sure that our children know the truth that leads them to the full freedom of God’s grace.

Tenebrae

So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves.” And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified. (Matthew 27:24-25 ESV).

Some Western churches still celebrate a medieval liturgy called the Tenebrae, or Service of Shadows, in which candles and lights are gradually extinguished until the congregation sits in complete darkness. This practice was the inspiration of our series recently, “The Light of Resurrection.” It is designed to be a representation of the darkness that covered the earth at the death of Jesus (cf. Mark 15:33). Typically there are reading from the Scripture and hymns that lead the participants in a communal repentance for the sins that made the Crucifixion necessary. One of the elements of the Tenebrae service is the conclusion. A typical Tenebrae ends with the strepitus, a loud, harsh noise such as the slamming of a book or crashing of a cymbal. This is intended to mimic several scriptural sounds: the final cries of Jesus, the earthquake at his death (cf. Matthew 27:46-53), the shutting of His tomb, and the second earthquake at His rising (cf. Matthew 28:2). It is so difficult to imagine what it must have been like for the disciples. This last week of Jesus life was in many ways a whirlwind of activity and a roller coaster of emotions. I’ve been in similar emotional circumstances. Usually it occurred at the bedside of a gravely ill individual. Often I would receive a call from family members to come quickly as they gathered near their loved one awaiting that final moment when death would overtake them. There are so many of those memories over the last 50 years, they seem to coalesce into one. The same components are always present. The pain of family, the struggle to understand what is happening, and prayers fading into the realization that death is imminent bring them gather and simply wait in resignation. The disciples see the day unfolding. It wasn’t as if they weren’t told of these things. Jesus told them; they just couldn’t bring themselves to believe it. And then, when the people chose Barabbas over Jesus, their last hope seemed destroyed. Now, like a nightmare slowly unfolding before them. Jesus is led away to be crucified. They just couldn’t imagine resurrection. No one could. Even those Jesus had raised from the dead couldn’t. They merely came back to life. Resurrection is entirely different. I’ve often wished for something at the death of a loved one that would jar us from our grief into a clear understanding that we are witnesses to a beginning, not an ending. Jesus’ death guaranteed that we would never need to fear the future again. While it may be dark in this moment, it is only a moment compared to the eternity of light awaiting us! Let the cymbals crash in their announcement that it is, indeed, finished!

Maundy Thursday

When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:31-35 ESV).

Some people call today Holy Thursday, others use the older reference of “Maundy Thursday.” If you have not been a part of the more traditional, ecclesiastical practices of Christianity, you may not be familiar with the meaning of this designation. It’s certainly not a commonly used word. You would rarely find it used outside the context of Easter. However, it has a rich meaning full of significance for all of us who are believers. It calls us to the fuller context of our reading today. “Maundy” comes from the Latin word Mandatum, which itself is from the verb Mandare, which is translated “commandment.” In the context of Easter Week it refers to the commandment Jesus gave to his disciples while washing their feet. This is contained in our reading today. This was a very busy day. The gospels tell us that Jesus sent Peter and John to arrange for them to use the Upper Room to hold the Passover meal. Jesus washed the apostles' feet; held the Passover Meal and instituted it as a memorial meal going forward. He also announced that Judas would betray him and gave the "new commandment" to love one another. Jesus indicated that Peter had a special pastoral role among the apostles, announcing at the same time that Peter would deny him. He prayed for the unity of his followers. He held all the discourses recorded across five chapters of John (John 13-18). Jesus went to the Mount of Olives and prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane where he was betrayed by Judas. He was arrested and taken before the high priests Annas and Caiaphas; was denied by Peter; and taken to Pilate. In all of this activity, the core of Jesus’ teaching revolves around our relationship with him producing a love for one another. I am challenged today to really focus on that truth. We live in a polarized culture where “common ground” is lost in the morass of personal gain and aggrandizement. That is the antithesis of Jesus’ reason for dying. If we remember anything about the coming events leading to Easter, I hope it will be that our call to reflect His glory is best accomplished with a simple love for one another, even when we are vastly different. Go out of your way to show kindness and love to someone today. That will certainly honor Him!

The Light of Resurrection - Pt 9

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:15-20 ESV).

Today is the last day of our devotionals leading us to an experience of the “light of resurrection.” You should begin without any of your candles burning. The darkness is complete. If it were not for the ambient light of your computer of electronic device from which you are reading this devotional, or other light streaming in from the windows, you would not be able to see anything. Force yourself to experience that kind of distress. It is dark. You cannot see anything; you cannot know which way to turn; you cannot move in this paralysis of the unknown. It is that moment before the dawn on Easter morning. Now, begin to slowly light each candle. Watch how each one begins to force the darkness away. This is the work of the Resurrection. Remember that Jesus is God! He cannot stay dead. HE IS ALIVE. The true Glory of God shines in the world. The Light has won! The Eternal Light! The Bright Morning Star! The Light of the World! Matthew recalls the experience of the women who arrived at the tomb that first Easter morning: Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” (Matthew 28:1-7 ESV). Everyone has dark days. They are days of extreme stress, abandonment, verbal and emotional battery, mockery and humiliation; they are days that may feel like a crucifixion. They are days of pain and death. Jesus had one of those days. And like most of us when we have one of those days, He finished His day in a dark place, a place of nightmares; but, light struck back. Jesus overcame darkness. You can, too. Trust Him… He’s got this!

The Light of Resurrection - Pt 8

We are coming to the close of this little series leading to our celebration of Easter. You should begin today with only one of the candles burning. Spend a moment and reflect on the difference in the level of light given by one candle versus the seven we began with just a few days ago. Now read our Scripture for today. And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. And it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. (Mark 15:22-32 ESV).

After reading the Scripture today, extinguish this last candle. Spend a moment and concentrate on the darkness that has become complete. What we call “Good Friday” was the darkest day in history. The Son of God himself was killed by people who weren’t satisfied simply to reject him; they couldn’t stand to have him exist. They really believed that they could erase Him from existence. And, incredibly, this move was incited and led by the religious leaders of the day. The images conjured in my mind of that day drive me to wonder about calling it a “good” day. In fact, that has often been the case with Christians through the ages. There are some Christian traditions that seek to express the emotion of this day differently. In German, for example, the day is called Karfreitag, or “Sorrowful Friday.” Actually, In English, the origin of the term “Good” developed from an older name, “God’s Friday.” In all of this, what I have come to understand is that, regardless of the origin, the name Good Friday is entirely appropriate because the suffering and death of Jesus, as terrible as it was, marked the dramatic culmination of God’s plan to save his people from their sins. In order for the good news of the gospel to have meaning for us, we first have to understand the bad news of our condition as sinful people under condemnation. The good news of deliverance only makes sense once we see how we are enslaved. In the same way, Good Friday is “good” because as terrible as that day was, it had to happen for us to receive the joy of Easter. The wrath of God against sin had to be poured out on Jesus, the perfect sacrificial substitute, in order for forgiveness and salvation to be poured out to the nations. Without that awful day of suffering, sorrow, and shed blood at the cross, God could not be both “just and the justifier” of those who trust in Jesus (cf. Romans 3:26). Paradoxically, the day that seemed to be the greatest triumph of evil was actually the deathblow in God’s gloriously good plan to redeem the world from bondage. That does make it GOOD!

The Light of Resurrection - Pt 7

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:4-6 ESV).

There should only be two of the seven candles lit as you begin this devotional. Our reading today is from one of the great passages in Isaiah that refer to the “Suffering Servant.” This was Jesus’ life and ministry. All he did was on our behalf and for our sakes. Take a few moments and listen to the song by Mercy Me, I Can Only Imagine. It can be found at (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_lrrq_opng). This is the incredible ending to our life because of God’s gift of grace through Jesus. I really cannot imagine how wonderful it will be. It must go well beyond my capacity or it simply wouldn’t have been God doing the work. Today as our devotion gets a bit darker, we must remember the Light that is coming. In order to reinforce this truth, extinguish one more candle. Only one remains. Look at it for a moment. Watch the way it precariously flickers. Feel the loneliness of that small bit of flame in the darkness. It fights to maintain as much light as it can; however, the darkness seems stronger. Can’t you feel how the disciples must have felt that day when Jesus was scourged to near death and parading through the streets of Jerusalem to his certain death? Shouldn’t this be the moment that the angels would come to his rescue? Shouldn’t this be the time that he calls down the full power and might of God to stop this horrible injustice? After all, he did nothing to deserve this. He fed the hungry, healed the infirmed, raised the dead. None of those things should bring this evil to bear in his life. And they shouldn’t. However, those were not the things that made Jesus’ death necessary. He went to the cross for our sins, our failures. Perhaps the first verse children learn in Bible School is John 3:16. We always seem to underscore the love of God in the verse. Spend a moment and look again at what the love cost God. John says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son.” Can you imagine what it will be like when we finally see him in glory? I can’t. I really don’t know whether I will stand awestruck in His presence, or fall to my knees in gratitude; however, I do know that I will be there. I will be there because of Him!

The Light of Resurrection - Pt 6

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. (Psalm 19:7-11 ESV).

Three of your candles should be lit as you begin today. We have already extinguished four, each time bringing more darkness to the set. God wants people to be happy. And the only way we can be happy is by following his instructions. So he gave us his Word, his written Word, to make very clear to us where our life comes from and how we can keep it. However, again and again we think our ideas are better than God’s. And we turn from life to death. Extinguish another candle. Albert Einstein said, “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.” The Apostle Paul put it a bit differently. He said the more he wanted to do well, the worse he did; the more he wanted to be good, the worse he actually was; what he wanted to do, he didn’t, and what he didn’t want to do, he did (cf. Romans 7:19). Isn’t it amazing how such a little thing as blowing out one candle can make such a large impact on your life? You can almost feel the darkness as it grows larger, threatening to overtake the light. Over the past fifteen years or so I have become increasingly more claustrophobic. It usually affects me at night. I really don’t see well without my glasses. So, when I wake in the middle of the night I reach for them immediately. There is always a moment of disorientation. I’m not quite sure what’s “out there.” At least that’s true until I can see. That moment of panic is held at bay with strategically placed night lights. Seeing is always easier for me. Seeing requires light. Our world, our lives were dark beyond our capacity to see the way until Jesus came. Easter is the celebration of the turning on of the lights! The darkness cannot ever overcome this light. John begins his gospel account like this: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5 ESV). In a few days we are going to celebrate a holiday that points us to THE Light. Think on the great grace of this act of God. Ponder the immeasurable mercy of Jesus’ sacrifice.

The Light of Resurrection - Pt 5

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. (Psalm 52:1-4 ESV).

The darkness is growing; there are only four candles still lit. Thousands of years pass between Noah and Moses. God has kept his promise. Even in the growing darkness and sin, God does not unleash his wrath on mankind again. Instead he begins to reveal the final solution. You see, even before the world was created, God knew that Jesus would be the solution. However, God didn’t just ignore people before Jesus was born. He gave them a way to be forgiven. If they offered sacrifices from a heart of worship, they could renew their friendship with God as they proved their reliance on him. However, no one really could stand before the Lord and claim to have been perfect in their life. Abraham, Moses, David, and all the prophets were simply sinners standing guilty before God. And there was an even deeper problem. Many may have followed the outward ritual, but they didn’t trust God in their hearts. They didn’t love him. They didn’t live lives that reflected his glory. As you extinguish another candle, try to imagine how it must have felt to have come to the end of a day, perhaps a day when you really did everything as good as you possibly could. Imagine getting to the end of that day and still knowing deeply in your mind and heart that you were still guilty before God. Like David writing our Scripture today, you can only cry out for mercy. You can only pray that somehow God would cleanse you from your sin. The darkness is so pervasive that it seems to cover everything in a pall of death and hopelessness. It is indeed a world devoid of any real hope. Death looms closer and closer as your hope slowly fades in the face of the encroaching darkness. You’ve tried. You’ve brought sacrifice after sacrifice; you’ve done your best. However, you know it is not enough. It is into this world that Jesus comes. Here’s how Luke recalls it for us: And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:8-11 ESV). And thirty years later, Jesus proved we have hope. He was raised from the dead having made the final sacrifice, cleansing us form all of our sin! Now, we are “washed thoroughly.” Now the law of love has come to our world and our life.

The Light of Resurrection - Pt 4

Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. (Genesis 9:8-13 ESV).

Today you should have five candles lit before reading. Folks who have never been to the Hill Country in Texas have a difficult time believing the incredible beauty in the display of the Bluebonnets in early spring. The added bonus of a rainbow after a brief rain is as beautiful as anything I have ever seen. The story of the rainbow is found in our reading today. Usually God holds back his anger over sin. But in this one instance (cf. Genesis 6-9) He revealed His wrath in a catastrophic way. The Great Flood totally destroyed his creation. He did show mercy through Noah. I cannot imagine what it must have been like for Noah. God comes to him and tells him of the impending doom. Remember that it had not rained on the earth yet. This was so foreign to him; yet he believed God and began construction on a boat bigger than any of our super tankers today. The Ark was twice as long as an early Boeing 747-100B airliner; it would take nearly one and a half football fields to equal the Ark’s length; NASA could lay three space shuttles, nose to tail, upon the Ark’s deck; it was nearly half the length of a modern Nimitz class aircraft carrier! And, he built it by hand with only the help of his family. By the way, Noah lived in one of the arid regions of the middle east. Not only had there been no rain previously, they weren’t even near a lake or ocean! Now, extinguish the next candle. It took Noah about 120 years to build the ark. During that time he made preparations and tried to warn as many people as he could. However, they were so blinded by the spiritual darkness that covered the earth they simply scoffed at this foolish man. The rain did come and the floodwaters rose plunging everyone and everything not on the ark to their death. It was a dark day indeed! Forty days later the rain stopped; and, after another couple of months God told Noah to depart from the ark. It was then that the first rainbow was seen. It was the seal of God’s promise to never destroy the earth by water again. Jesus’ death is the completion of this promise for eternity.

The Light of Resurrection - Pt 3

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. (Romans 5:12-15 ESV).

Today you should have six of your seven candles lit to begin the devotional. As you read the Scripture for today it is unmistakable that God created people to give him glory. And he created a perfect place for them, a place that reflected his glory. He gave them everything they could need or want for happiness; however, they didn’t really believe God’s gifts to them were enough for them. So they made a choice to take their destiny into their own hands and lost their perfect place to live and their relationship with God. Ultimately their introduced pain, futility, and death into their lives and all of their progeny. At this point you should extinguish today’s candle. Begin to meditate on the additional darkness that has now been added to the new environment. All of this is due first to the sin of Adam and Eve (v. 12). Of course we also bear responsibility for our own choices, however without the introduction of sin and death into the world through the sin of Adam and Eve we would be facing an entirely different circumstance. We can lament the result of this sin or we can focus on the provision of God in view of our situation. Easter is such a time, calling us to focus on this wonderful gift of redemption. It is such a basic point. Because of Adam we have more darkness; we have sin and all the consequences of that disobedience, we have pain and struggle throughout this life, and we must contend with the truth that death is a part of every man’s experience. Perhaps the last of those is the most difficult for us to cope with. Not long ago I was working with someone as they lamented the news that they had been diagnosed with an incurable disease that would ultimately end in their death. The specialist they had seen simply said, “There’s nothing we can do but make you comfortable.” My first thought was that at least there was some comfort from the physical pain available. Then I began to muse about the truth that all of us have received that diagnosis. No one gets out of this life without dying! The greater truth is that we have the ultimate treatment plan provided by God to release us from all pain. Death itself has been overcome by the work of Jesus! The Great Physician has just informed all of us that death is no longer a threat to us; eternal life and perfection awaits us.

The Light of Resurrection - Pt 2

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. (Romans 1:18-25 ESV).

God created the universe. He created the galaxies and all of their complexity and mystery. He created the gentle breeze that calms us and the roaring winds of the hurricane that terrifies us. He created all things simply to show us who He is and to display his glory and personality. However, people have let themselves be blinded to the truth. Some take all of God’s creation for granted and say it just got there somehow with no need for God. Others worship the things that were created and don’t see God behind it. The Apostle Paul begins his letter to the Romans with this great declaration of the problem man has faced from the beginning of time as Adam and Eve chose to disobey God in favor of their desires. Even though their instructions were very clear and they had the power to resist the temptation presented to them, they did not. Even though they had access to the person of God intimately, even though they walked and talked with Him each day, they chose the path of rebellion in the hope of becoming gods themselves. We know the outcome of that choice well. Every man, woman, and child born since had the stain and effect of their sin transferred to them. All of us became sinners that day in our distant relatives. No one has escaped with righteousness; however, God knew this would happen and prepared a way for us to once again be bathed in the light of his glory and power. Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrected answer all those failures with his success and victory. It is a victory that cannot be snatched away from us. As you extinguish this first candle remember how the darkness began to overtake our world. Remember how vulnerable you have felt in the face of the challenges of your journey. Jesus died so that we would have no need to think in those terms again. Hallelujah!

The Light of Resurrection - Pt 1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:1-13 ESV).

Today we are going to begin a slightly different series of devotionals. My hope is that you will use the interactive suggestions along with your reading. They are written to be used in conjunction with any grouping or types of seven candles. Today will be introductory; however, my suggestion is that you secure your candles and be ready to begin tomorrow. All seven should be burning as you begin reading the first devotional. Instructions within the reading tell you when to snuff out one candle. On the second day, six candles burn as you begin reading, and you snuff out one of them when instructed, and so on. On the last day, the last candle is extinguished, representing and reminding us of the darkness of Good Friday. Then on Easter, there will be instructions to light all seven candles. Our reading from the Scripture helps us with the symbolism and use of candles. The apostle says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (verse 5). It was a long time while it seemed as if the darkness was overcoming. Beginning with the call of Abraham and ending with the birth of Jesus it must have seemed dark indeed. These seven candles will symbolize the Light of the World, the Light that was God’s glory and that illuminated God for us, the Light that, in the end, seemed to have been darkened. As we move through the days preceding Easter, the candles are snuffed out one by one, until they are all dark helping us to remember when Jesus died and the earth was covered with darkness. To the early disciples it seemed the Darkness had won. The Light of the World had been extinguished. It was finished. I can’t imagine how difficult it was that they had to wait until that first Easter morning to realize the Light had won. Easter brings resurrection! Jesus had returned victorious over death and Hell! All of this was for us! What a glorious day that must have been. So it is today!

The Great Eight - Pt 43

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39 ESV).

We have reached the end of our series digging into “the Great Eight.” It is here, at the end of the chapter, that Paul adds one all-inclusive encouragement to make sure he hasn’t missed anything: "… nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (v. 39). For those who are worried they may have done too little or too much, depending on the behavior, rest easy. Your position is secure in Christ’s work on your behalf. We don’t need to focus on our power to hang on to God; He is hanging on to us. And, NOTHING can change that status. And that includes ourselves. There are those who say the elect can’t be snatched out of God’s hand (cf. John 10:29) but they can jump out. In other words, they say, you can be elect, born again, justified, and in the end perish. That is not what the Bible teaches. "Those whom he justified he glorified" – that is the radical assurance of the elect. The assurance is not that you can forsake the faith and live in sin and go to heaven. The assurance is: God keeps his elect from final apostasy and unbelief. The new covenant promise for all God’s people is this: "I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me" (Jeremiah 32:40). There may be many times when we stumble; we may wander far from the center of God’s perfect path for us; however, if you are his, you will be brought back. Trust him. So nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate God’s elect from him. The result is massive security for merciful service through many sufferings. John Calvin wrote that “faith is not simply the removal of all doubt or disturbance. Faith is not certainty. Saving faith has very little to do with the strength of our faith or our ability to conjure up mental images to remove all worries.” Calvin defines faith elsewhere in the Institutes as “a steady and certain knowledge of the divine benevolence towards us.” Faith is trusting that Christ will be faithful even in the times when we’re not faithful to Him. Faith is resting in the fact that God loves and enjoys us. Far too often I put faith in faith instead of faith in Christ. This leads to a loss of peace and to my thinking that something is wrong with me or that I’m not even saved, just because I have doubts and worries. Whatever your worries or concerns, trust in Christ. He’s got this!

The Great Eight - Pt 42

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39 ESV).

I can remember so many times I have held my sons or my grandchildren by the hand. While there is great comfort for me in holding them; there is great strength conveyed to them as well. On many occasions they have proven to me that they really believe Grandpa can fix anything. In fact I have a sign in my shop fastened to the shelf above my worktable given to me by my oldest grandchildren many years ago that simple says, “Grandpa’s Workshop. Broken Toys Fixed Here.” And, I have fixed a lot of broken toys. I’ve sewn teddy bears back together; I’ve glued handles back on rocking horses; I’ve mended what seemed impossibly broken. They think Grandpa can fix anything. Of course, I can’t; however, God can. This is how Paul comes to the next three declarations. Paul says nothing in time and space can separate us from the love of God (vv. 38-39). First time: ". . . nor things present, nor things to come . . . will be able to separate us from the love of God." Then space: "nor height, nor depth . . . will be able to separate us from the love of God." Paul is covering every possible base. He is saying it over and over. Then he says nothing in the present, nor future, can separate us from the love of God. The present-future pair covers our fear that though the present might be tolerable now, the future is going to be horrible, and we wonder if we will be able to stand it. Or we might fear that the present is so bad that we will not make it to any future. Paul’s response: It will never be so bad now or any time in the future that you will be separated from the love of God. Circumstances will never surprise God so that he must go back on this promise. The future is absolutely his and he knows it and runs it. If he says it won’t separate us, it won’t. And, then, the apostle says, nothing, high nor low can separate us from the love of God. The height-depth pair (v. 39) covers our fear that there might be a lurking in some distant place far away some menacing power that would surprise us and destroy our faith and separate us from the love of God. Nothing in highest heaven and nothing in deepest hell can separate us from the love of Christ. Sometimes I am that broken “toy.” I’ve got a ripped seam that needs to repaired; or, I’ve got a broken handle; or perhaps I’m just worn out and need refurbishing. God makes all of that new! And, it will never be too little, too late!

The Great Eight - Pt 41

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39 ESV).

Next the Apostle Paul says there is not a cosmic or supernatural power great enough to separate us from the love of God. He uses three words to describe these: angels, rulers, and powers. These three words are designations of angelic or demonic beings since "angels" are mentioned first in the group. Paul’s point is: there are no cosmic or supernatural powers that can separate us from the love of God. These powers were decisively defeated at the cross (cf. Colossians 2:15). When Christ rose he was exalted "far above all rule and authority and power and dominion" (Ephesians 1:21). So, even though these powerful beings are real and determined to hurt us at every opportunity, they cannot do last harm to God’s elect. I have pastored and counseled people of all ages for nearly five decades now. I have witnessed just about every possible attack from the enemy of the elect. Satan and his demons are nearly limitless in their imagination to use circumstance and our weakness to shake us from our hope and joy. Some have said that while demonic powers cannot rip us away from God’s love, our poor choices can. Tragically there are those who have come to adopt that as truth in their lives. They believe they have gone too far, fallen too much, and grace is simply not enough to cover them. Scripture teaches just the opposite. Regardless of how far we may have wandered; no matter how badly we may have failed; there is nothing that can separate us from God’s love. The only separation we may feel is from the false shame and guilt we have convinced ourselves to adopt as truth. Perhaps this is at the root of why I love the Parable of Prodigal Son so much (cf. Luke 15:11-32). The prodigal takes his portion of his father’s inheritance, wastes it, finally coming to his end feeding pigs and starving. There is nothing of the picture we are given of his failure that would lead us to believe he could ever return to the good grace of his father. Yet, when he reaches his lowest point, he remembers that even the servants of his father live better than he is then living. He determines to go back home. He imagines crawling back, begging his father to just allow him to be a servant. Then grace is realized for what it has always been. There was never a time when he was not his father’s son. He is welcomed home with a glorious celebration. All of his failure, all of his pain and trial could not separate him from the love of his father. Wherever you are, you cannot be any further away from God than he was. Just come on home!

The Great Eight - Pt 40

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39 ESV).

As we close our study of “the Great Eight” in the next few days, we are going to look a little deeper into these last phrase the apostle uses to describe that which he is sure will not separate us from the love of God in Christ. His first parallel of extremes is “death and life.” It should not be a surprise that death is first on the list. Part of the reason is that it is Paul’s affirmation that believers are “being put to death all day long” (v. 36). However, it is also very personally known that death separates us from so much of what we know on earth. I am sure you have experienced some of that separation as well. It is the most urgent threat. So immediately Paul says, "Death cannot separate us from God’s love." The truth is that death does just the opposite. It increases nearness and fellowship with Christ. To the church in Philippi he writes, "I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better" (Philippians 1:23). And to the Corinthians he declares "to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). It is not separation; it’s homecoming. Perhaps that’s why I have enjoyed the illustration included with this devotional so much through the years since I first discovered it. Paul is so secure in his belief that when he dies it will be no more than a great welcome home that he sees it as the ultimate victory. We do need to be honest that death is separation from family and friends and the body and all earth’s pleasures. That is why it may not look like the love of God. But Paul says it is the love of God. It’s not as though we are loved by God up to death and then loved again by God after death with a big separation from the love of God in death. Death, the experience of the cessation of the life of this body we now inhabit, is not a separation from the love of God. God loves us before death and he loves us in the act of dying and he loves us after death. And all our losses here are part of being loved by God. Hard as it feels, Paul wants us to know and experience the fact that death and all it takes from us is not a lapse in the love of God. When Christ died he secured his own people in death and in life. Nothing in life and nothing in death will undo the triumph he achieved in the cross and the resurrection. So Paul says, "For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living" (Romans 14:9). His lordship over life and death is invincible. So life and death cannot separate us from the love of God.

The Great Eight - Pt 39

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39 ESV).

We have almost found the end of “the Great Eight.” Today our reading takes us to the last two verses. It will take us a few more days to explore sufficiently, but it is well worth the time. Knowing that nothing can rip our eternal life from us is the ultimate assurance and encouragement that allows us to face any circumstance of life. Our reading lists ten things that cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Eight of them are in pairs. I have often reminded others that the point of this whole passage is our security. God wants his people to experience deep, unshakeable confidence that they are secure in his love. And the reason he must stress it is because in real life we appear and often feel so insecure. There are times when that insecurity comes at the painful circumstances we are called to endure. There are other times when erroneous teaching prompts us to believe that there is still something we must do to complete our redemption. That theology focuses our attention on our ability to hang on to Jesus instead of His unshakeable power to hold on to us. I won’t deal further with the theology that doubts the absolute assurance of our salvation. However, I will help you look at the things that will happen that make you feel that you are separated from the love of God. After all, the apostle thought enough of the importance of this truth to go into such detail as to make it impossible to miss. I should do no less. Before we get to the “things” Paul lists, we must remember that these verses are describing the security of "God’s elect" (Romans 8:33), not the security of everybody. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, he has chosen you, you are his, you belong to him. Further Paul says that you love him and are called according to his purpose (v. 28). This is his purpose; this everlasting security. He also says that you are foreknown, that is, recognized with favor, loved before time; you are predestined to be like Christ, and you are called from death to life, and you are justified once for all, counted righteous in Christ, and you are glorified (v. 29). These promises of inseparability are God’s declaration that he will save his people and nothing can destroy them. You have these promises if you will have Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If there is any doubt in your mind about this position, simply pray, “Dear Jesus, forgive me. Make me yours.” That prayer is never rejected and is always answered with a resounding “YES”! Now, nothing can separate you from His love!

The Great Eight - Pt 38

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:31-37 ESV).

After yesterday’s assertion about Jesus’ love not “saving” us from the earthly pain and suffering that is an inevitable part of our journey, I want to list some things that are true that will give encouragement to all of us who are walking through these trying times. There are ten brief insights that shed considerable light in understanding God’s sovereignty and our suffering in this world:  First, when we embrace the sovereignty of God, we also benefit from an infusion of strength and hope. Even when we don’t like how his plan looks from our present perspective, we must know that he loves us and can see the world from start to finish. He’s got this!  Second, we cannot presume to know better than God how to run the world. It is pride. Faith means that, regardless of circumstances, we take him at his word that he loves us and will bring us to a good result.  Third, God has a good purpose in all the hard things that happen to his people.  Fourth, death and suffering press in on us the perspective of eternity. When we are overwhelmed with sadness at what we’ve lost in this life, we must capture His eternal perspective.  Fifth, God’s distribution of suffering is not equal, and one hard thing may prepare for another.  Sixth, God’s love takes care of us right now in our suffering, not just later. God’s love is truly sufficient to meet any need that I have.  Seventh, calamity calls for quick practical love. As the body of Christ we must answer these calamities with our presence and practical assistance.  Eighth, quiet confidence in God’s power and goodness through suffering creates occasions for ministry and evangelism.  Ninth, trusting in God’s sovereign care in all circumstances frees us from greed and releases love for others. The fact that God has offered us the hope of eternal life is amazing! We should be overwhelmed with joy and gratitude.  Tenth, without God, the world is hopeless. The world is hopeless when God is factored out of the equation. Please don’t factor God out of your life. It is Jesus Christ who died and rose and reigns and intercedes for all who trust him.

The Great Eight - Pt 37

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:31-37 ESV).

This phrase, “the love of Christ,” that Paul uses in this series of questions is very powerful. There are three specific layers of meaning in the use of this language. First, it is an indication that Christ is loving us now. God’s love is not a memory. It is a moment-by-moment action of the living Son of God. Let me illustrate it a bit for you. Someone who has experienced the death of a loved one might say that “nothing” will separate them from that love. They might be talking about how powerful and precious the memory of that loved one is in their life; however, they cannot be with them. Christ is alive and is still loving us now. He is at the right hand of God and is therefore ruling for us. And he is interceding for us, which means he is seeing to it that his finished work of redemption does in fact save us hour by hour and bring us safe to eternal joy. His love is not a memory. It is a moment-by-moment action of the omnipotent, living Son of God, to bring us to everlasting joy. The second layer of meaning is that the love of Christ is effective in protecting us from separation. It is not a universal love for all, but a particular love for his people. It is Christ’s love for the church, his bride (cf. Ephesians 5:25). Christ has a love for all, but he has a special, saving, preserving love for his bride. You know you are part of that bride if you trust Christ. Anyone, without exception, who trusts Christ can say, I am part of his bride, his church, his called and chosen ones. These are the ones who are kept and protected forever no matter what. And, the third layer of meaning is that this omnipotent, effective, protecting love does not spare us from calamities in this life, but brings us safe to everlasting joy with God. Paul makes this crystal clear in verse 35: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” No. But someone might say, “Oh, but what he means is that God will not let these things happen to his bride.” That is not the case. However, Jesus is mightily loving his people with a powerful love that does not always rescue us from calamity but preserves us for everlasting joy in his presence even through suffering and death.

The Great Eight - Pt 36

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:31-37 ESV).

We are coming to the close of our study in “the Great Eight.” The Apostle Paul has saved the best for last. In this great chapter he comes to five questions to draw out the amazing privileges of belonging to Jesus Christ. In verse 31 he asks, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” In verse 32 he asks, “How will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” In verse 33 he asks, “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?” in verse 34 he asks, “Who is to condemn?” And finally in verse 35he asks, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” The answers are so plain and so wonderful, Paul lets us supply them and rejoice in them.  Verse 31: No one can be successfully against us — not even terrorists.  Verse 32: God will supply everything we need — even when all seems lost.  Verse 33: No one can make a charge stick against us in the court of heaven — no matter who accuses us.  Verse 34: No one can condemn us.  Verse 35: No one and nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. These verses are so relevant. No matter the age or the circumstance, as Paul details the kinds of things that cannot separate us from the love of Christ, we cannot help but be taken to an unshakable assurance of our eventual and eternal destiny. Paul talks about some of the things of his day when he lists “tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword.” However, we could easily substitute our own experience with these kinds of things today. He is declaring there is nothing, NOTHING, so horrible that they could separate us from the love of Christ. No. Nothing can separate us from Christ’s love. All of us have those “boogeymen” in our lives that frighten us. It may be any one of dozens of crises. Rest assured. Jesus has conquered and taken every one of them captive. In their place we have the love of God!

The Great Eight - Pt 35

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:31-37 ESV).

Today we come the fourth and final thing Jesus has done for us. He has become the intercessor between us and God the Father. Verse 34 ends, ". . . who also intercedes for us." He was and is now and ever will be our go-between (cf. 1 Timothy 2:5); he is our advocate (cf. 1 John 2:1). We might ask, Why do we need an intercessor if the death and resurrection of Jesus provide the full ground of our forgiveness and righteousness? The answer is that today in heaven Jesus does nothing to add to the ground and purchase of our forgiveness and righteousness. That is precisely what he finished once for all. What he does is represent that finished work for us in heaven. He stands as a lamb slain and triumphant; and, provides a living evidence and witness for the ground of our salvation. We experience this intercession every time we pray “in Jesus’ name.” We should remember that we have no rights with the Father apart from what he did for us on the cross and what he is for us in heaven. So know him as your intercessor every time you pray. Be thankful to him that he loved you and died for you and bought all your salvation and every answered prayer at the cost of his life. You may have noticed my repetitious emphasis of the importance of knowing Jesus and not merely knowing his work. We should know him who did – and is doing – for us these great things. Know him as your freedom from condemnation, and your fearlessness, and your massive security in merciful service through many sufferings. And since I have emphasized this personal dimension of knowing him, it would fitting to end with an insight from John Murray on this final point of Christ our intercessor. He catches a dimension that could be easily missed. He wrote: Nothing serves to verify the intimacy and constancy of the Redeemer’s preoccupation with the security of his people, nothing assures us of his unchanging love more than the tenderness which his heavenly priesthood bespeaks and particularly as it comes to expression in intercession for us. (Murray, Romans, Vol. 1. p. 330).

The Great Eight - Pt 34

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:31-37 ESV).

The third thing Jesus has accomplished for us is that we can now know him as the one who is at the right hand of God. That little phrase, "the right hand of God," was full of power for the first-century Christians of the Apostle Paul’s day. They were well acquainted with the Old Testament. They knew full well the meaning of David’s psalm: The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” (Psalm 110:1-4 ESV). The meaning of triumph, rule, and authority are unmistakable. Being at God’s right hand was to rule over all authority and power and dominion and angels and names. A. W. Tozer’s quote above is so impactful for our complicated and challenging lives. We need fear no one and nothing. Even the Devil cannot overcome the One to whom we are forever joined. The apostle is going to try to be specific about the things that might frighten us; however, even he, runs out of the great expanse of this topic and says “and nothing else created” can separate us from His love for us. This is where our security comes from. We have this unassailable truth given to us by God. And, the proof of its truth is in His actions toward us. He sent His only begotten Son to take our place and pay our debt. Jesus did what only He could do, which was what none of us could ever do. Do you see how this sets us on a path that is negotiated with power and purpose. Even when it seems as if we have been abandoned, we can know that we haven’t. He walks with us because He has already won our freedom. Know your Savior, your Lord, your Friend, your Treasure this way – triumphant and ruling now over all the universe until all his enemies are put under his feet. Know him and enjoy this unshakable security. It is yours by God’s decree!

The Great Eight - Pt 33

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:31-37 ESV).

The second fact Paul gives us is that Jesus is the One raised from the dead by the Father. I stress that he was raised by the Father because the verb is passive in verse 34: not "Christ rose" but "Christ was raised." The point is that the Father was so satisfied with the once for all, atoning work of the Son that he vindicated his obedience and suffering and his infinite accomplishment by raising him from the dead. We can know Him as Friend and Savior and Lord and Treasure; He is One absolutely approved by God. And know him, as the one who "will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him" (Romans 6:9). Earlier in the eighth chapter Paul says, If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you (Romans 8:11 ESV). No wonder we can be content for being no more than “sheep for the slaughter.” The tenacity we possess to cling to this world with all of the trials and difficulties inherent in its fallen nature is often baffling to me. I understand the emotion of it. I understand the pull of the tangible nature of it. However, I cannot understand how we can’t seem to allow this truth to set us free from that emotion and power. Here and now are real; however, so is then and there! Setting aside the wisdom of preparing for the future, we ought to understand that there is nothing to fear about the future. Our anxiety about tomorrow is rooted in our desire to control it and shape it. We so forget that we do not need to hold on to God; he is holding on to us! That subtle difference between our effort and God’s completed act will completely transform your life once you given yourself to it. Nothing you do, or fail to do will change your status in eternity. Jesus has already done it. And God has accepted it completely on our behalf. So, let this second act of Jesus on our behalf pour into your heart and mind to set you free!

The Great Eight - Pt 32

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:31-37 ESV).

We will get more specific in the next few days; however, today I want to introduce you to the four things Christ does for you. You see, the design of this text is to make you courageous in your life. Whether in service or suffering we can be courageous. Listen again to the beginning of this detailed description: It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us (v. 34). Jesus is “He who died," and he continues this focus on the person by the way he writes about each of the following three deeds. "Yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us." He did not have to use two substantival participles and two relative pronouns. He did it to keep our focus on the person: Jesus Christ died. Jesus Christ was raised. Jesus Christ is at the right hand of God. Jesus Christ intercedes for us. No death for us, no resurrection for us, no presence at God’s right hand for us, no intercession for us would do us any good if it were not Jesus Christ who died and rose and reigns and intercedes. So let’s keep our focus on him. Look to him. Know him. We are not talking about a mythological event or a random deed or a mere human happening. We are seeing the historical Jesus Christ in action. And the point is to know HIM as our security. Jesus himself is our No-condemnation. So, the first of these four things Jesus has done for us is to die for us. He is the One who gave his life for you. I say "gave his life for you" instead of "died for you" just to make plain that he chose to die. He planned to die. He embraced death for you. He didn’t stumble in front of the divine bullet meant for you; he stepped in front of it. Mark says it like this: "The Son of Man came . . . to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). So know him that way. This knowledge will lead you into the great depth of His love. That is where you will find real peace and power.

The Great Eight - Pt 31

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:31-37 ESV).

Soon we will be coming to the conclusion of our series in “the Great Eight.” Today we are looking a bit deeper in the last paragraph of this part of the apostle’s letter. Here he completely exhausts the depth of the love of Christ found in this great sacrificial gift of grace through his death, burial, and resurrection. It is also the root of our love for one another. The reality is that if we do not rest in the love of God for us, we will not be able to love each other. The best example is found in the Gospel of John: A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another (John 13:34). His love for us is first, and ours is an echo of it. His love for us is before and under our love for each other. And it is a deep, deep, unshakable love. All true love begins with this: God in Christ loved us and forgave us. Then he adopted us so that we are called his children. Then he lavished his ongoing love on us in the family. And now, and only now, on the basis of all that, he says, “Imitate me.” It’s the love of God in Christ for us that draws out and empowers our imitating love for each other. This is certainly radical Christianity. We have seen plenty of examples of selfish Christianity; however, Christianity that lays down its life for others, and shows how radically secure we are in the love of God is the way we should love. And, it all begins with him, not us. So that’s the reason for today’s focus: If God so loved us, we ought to love each other. And so we need to see that God did so love us — and does so love us. Unless I am badly mistaken, there is an immense longing in our world to discover new depths of love to each other, especially those who are our most difficult to love acquaintances. What is precious to me about this letter is the apostle’s combination of a God-centeredness in our lives and, in the same breath, with an incredible radiance and warmth of life toward others. The point today is that, if we are to grow in our love to one another, we must experience being loved by Christ with a deep, unshakable love.

The Great Eight - Pt 30

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:31-37 ESV).

Now Paul shouts with joy! We are “more than conquerors”! No one and nothing can separate us from Christ’s love. This is the triumphant shout of everyone who is weary from the often difficult and challenging journey through this life. And it all begins with this one question: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” I’ve always imagined Paul dictating this to his scribe as if he is facing his greatest enemy. It is as if he is glaring down this great giant and quietly, confidently saying, “Give it your best shot. You are no match for the One who stands for me! Who do you think you are to threaten to separate me from the love of Christ?” No one, especially someone as small as you, can do such a thing! I hope I can remind you and awaken you again to the unshakable love that Christ has for you. Listen to the apostle carefully today as he lists some of those challenges:  Will tribulation separate us? Here he means any pressure or any trouble.  Will distress separate us? This is any difficulty or crisis.  Will persecution separate us? This is any opposition or ridicule.  Will famine separate us? This is any suffering or scarcity.  Will nakedness separate us? This is any assault or shame.  Will peril separate us? This is any danger or threat.,  Will a sword separate us? Think broader. This is any injury or violence or death. Paul answers NO! In all of this and more, we are more than conquerors! And, as if that were not enough to inspire and encourage us, he says that love is so powerfully for us, at all times, that it turns every circumstance into a triumph. “In all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us.” So my aim this morning is to remind you of this and show it to you, and pray with you that you will grasp it. And it will grasp you!

The Great Eight - Pt 29

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30 ESV).

Before we get to the final verses of this chapter we need to understand this “call” a bit more. It is the foundation of this great declaration of victory Paul declares as he closes the chapter. So, let me put it in a picture. The apostle writes to the Corinthians: but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles (1 Corinthians 1:23 ESV). Many regard Christ’s death as foolishness; typically they reveal this belief by declaring it akin to a “fairytale.” However, those who are called see in him the power and the wisdom of God. Something has happened to them. They’ve been called. Picture it this way: before you were called by God, you were in real sense asleep in your life. And in your life you saw Jesus. Only in your routine he looked foolish. He wasn’t attractive. You wondered why others made such a big deal out of him. In your understanding your stuff was more exciting. Then the Holy Spirit came into your life and called, in a voice, just loud enough to shake you out of your “sleep.” You opened your eyes. And there before you stood the real Jesus Christ. And his glory was unmistakable. And you knew that all your thoughts about his being foolish and unreal and unattractive were mere fantasies and empty images of sleeping mind. Christ crucified was now for you what it really is. You came to know the power and wisdom of God. That is what it means to be called. So, if at any depth you believe that Jesus is real and his death was on your behalf, you have been called. That simply cannot happen any other way. This calling then precipitates all the rest of God’s work in your life. You have been “justified,” which is the legal declaration of you being acquitted of any and all offenses in your life. There is no debt to pay; there is no sentence to serve. You have been set free from you condemnation and cleared of all charges against you, now and forever! And, then, you have also been “glorified.” This is both a present position as well as a future position. Today, I can rest in the knowledge that my prominence is rooted in His work, not mine. And, remember, this is all a work of God. I can’t lose what I didn’t win in the first place. I didn’t do anything to get it; I can’t do anything to lose it. This takes us to the celebration of the cross. No wonder it is so hard to understand. However, it is true. God gives us life when he chooses us – life today and life forever!

The Great Eight - Pt 28

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30 ESV).

We are continuing in our examination of “the Great Eight”; and, today we come to one of the most familiar and often quoted verses of the entire letter. Paul says, And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (v. 22). This is one of the greatest assurances of God’s love in all of Scripture; however, we must understand there are two qualifications attached to it. It is not true for everyone. It is only true for people described in this verse: to those who love God; and, to those who are called according to His purpose. So, we need to unpack this carefully. First, who are those who love God? No one loves God perfectly in this life. And, thankfully that is not the question. We all know there can be a real love between two people without that love being perfect. In fact the greater and more authentic the love, the more keenly it feels its own imperfections. The question is not about perfection. The real question is: Is God your treasure? Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (cf. Luke 12:34). Jesus was trying to show us that we ought to strive to have our treasure in heaven, not earth. He was calling us to treasure God above all things. So “Do you love God?” means “Is he your treasure?” Is God the most valuable reality in your life? Second, have you been called by God according to his purpose? This does not mean, “Have you ever heard the gospel?” or “Have you ever heard an invitation calling you to repent and believe?” The subsequent verses are going to make this very clear. When the apostle says, “[Those] whom [God] predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” he identifies the recipients of this promise as all the children of God. All those who are called are justified. So this calling from God is not a mere invitation, but a powerful and effective summons that woke you up from the slumber of ignorance and rebellion, so that you saw Jesus and gladly submitted to him. That gave you life; that made you His child. That brought you into access of this grand promise. This is not an “if/then” promise. It is a declaration of what God has already done and will continue to do because of Jesus’ work on the cross. This is the depth of God’s grace! Wow!

The Great Eight - Pt 27

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 28-30 ESV).

As we come to the close of this part of our study, it may have been a bit difficult for some to really embrace the complete lack of our ability to take this promise. It is difficult to accept the truth of our inability to determine our fate. However, the unconditional call of God apart from all human means is the path by which God maintains his purpose of election. If he did not call men without regard to their characteristics and abilities then God’s purpose of election would fall to the ground. God would become like a political candidate going from precinct to precinct to see if he might be elected Lord. God would propose, but man would dispose. The size and makeup of God’s constituency would be in debt to the vote of man. The Apostle Paul knows nothing of such a God. Instead, he says that God set his favor on Jacob and not Esau before they were born so that his purpose of election might stand, not on the basis of their deeds but only on the basis of his call, the call that accords with his purpose of election (cf. Romans 9:6-13). So, let’s remember the foundation of this great promise tucked into this chapter. This is where we who love God will find certainty that tribulation and distress and famine and nakedness and peril and sword and slaughter will, in fact, work together for their good. The answer is that those who love God are also those who have been called by God, and that this call is based not on something as fickle and uncertain as our commitment to God but only on his eternal purpose of election by which he set his favor on me without any respect to my action at all. Our confidence that all the hard and happy things in our life will, in fact, become the building blocks of our good is based not merely in the fact that there is a promise in the Bible, but also on the fact that from all eternity God in his great mercy has chosen us to enjoy his banquet and has given us evidence of our election by calling into being a heart that loves Him! All things work together for good for those who love God, those who are called according to his purpose. Whatever you are facing today shall pass into the ultimate good God has shaped for you. You don’t need to understand that; you don’t need to accept it. It has already been pronounced by God. Of course, it’s better to understand it. That helps us accept it and rest in its glorious truth! Our God has nothing but good for us!