Sermons Worth Stealing - Pt 5

Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city. (Acts 8:4-8 ESV).

As we continue to look at the sermons in Acts, we come to the preaching of Philip. The content is found in three verses with four examples of what his message was. He preached Christ (v. 5); the things concerning the kingdom of God (v. 12); the name of Jesus Christ (v. 12); and, he simply preached “Jesus” (v. 35). It should not be discarded too quickly as we think about Sermons Worth Stealing. The person and work of the Jesus must be at the center of our faith and works. It is this simplicity of message that changes the lives of people for eternity. In 1880, one of the great hynmists, Frances J. Crosby wrote “Tell me the Story of Jesus.” You may remember the chorus: Tell me the story of Jesus, Write on my heart every word; Tell me the story most precious, Sweetest that ever was heard. While a bit longer than I normally use in these devotionals, I felt this particular quote from Sinclair Ferguson is particularly appropriate: There is a center to the Bible and its message of grace. It is found in Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected. Grace, therefore, must be preached in a way that is centered and focused on Jesus Christ Himself. We must never offer the benefits of the gospel without the Benefactor Himself. For many preachers, however, it is much easier to deal with the pragmatic things, to answer “how to” questions, and even to expose and denounce sin than it is to give an adequate explanation of the source of the forgiveness, acceptance, and power we need. This is what will reach the heart! And when you have experienced such preaching, or seen its fruit, you will know what true preaching is. And you will agree that its fruit lasts for all eternity. Notice the result of his preaching: So there was much joy in that city (v. 8). I am not saying there is not a place for “steps” to any of the improvements of life we desire; however, I am saying we must found each of them in the person and work of Jesus. This is where the real power is; this is where the real change takes place. And, that will preach!

Sermons Worth Stealing - Pt 4

And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel. (Acts 6:8-15 ESV).

Our reading today sets the stage for the fourth sermon recorded in Acts. It was delivered by Stephen and ultimately led to his death. The full text of the sermon is in chapter 7, though I’ll just mention parts of it here. But first let me remind you what is happening here. Stephen was a brilliant and spiritual man (v. 5); he was "full of grace and power" (v. 8); and, even his enemies "could not resist the wisdom and Spirit with which he spoke" (v. 10). Even after he was arrested, it says that "his face was like the face of an angel" as he was accused in the court (v. 15). In spite of all this (or maybe because of all this) the response to him was vicious. Stephen is on trial for opposing Moses and his customs and God and his temple. The high priest gives Stephen a chance to defend himself, "Is this so?" he asks. And Stephen does a very strange thing. He tells a story (Acts 7); it is a condensed version of the history of Israel. He starts with Abraham at the beginning (in vv. 1–8). Then (in vv. 9–16) he dwells on Joseph and how the Israelites came to Egypt. Then he spends a long time on Moses (in vv. 17– 44). Then he closes with a brief reference to Joshua and David and Solomon (in vv. 45–50). Finally, he draws his conclusion from this history. It is a scathing condemnation: You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One [Jesus], whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it. (Acts 7:51-53). This was his defense. He had been charged with speaking against Moses and the law, and against God and the temple. His defense is that history proves the opposite: it is Israel as a people that have stiffened their neck against God and resisted the Holy Spirit. They persecuted the prophets of God, and they killed Jesus the Son of God, and now they are about to kill a man "full of faith and the Holy Spirit." They are the ones who need to give an account, not Stephen. It ought to serve us as an encouragement to bold living and a warning against falling into stubborn traditionalism. Will you be encouraged? Will you heed the warning?

Sermons Worth Stealing - Pt 3

On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:5-12 ESV).

After Peter’s sermon in Acts 3, after healing a man at the temple, Luke tells us that the Jewish leaders were now as concerned with Peter and John as they had been with Jesus. This was true for several reasons. For one thing, they did not believe in the concept of resurrection. The Sadducees, who were part of the leadership, disputed the resurrection in general. But at the same time, and more significantly, the issue was what the “resurrection of the dead” signified for the history of the world. Sadducees and Pharisees alike agreed on the consequences of teaching the resurrection in this regard. It would ultimately lead to the dismantling of their belief that Israel was to be the only power in the world. In essence, when Peter and John proclaimed “in Jesus the resurrection of the dead,” they were saying that the end-time blessings of the resurrection age had intruded the present age for the sake of everyone who believed in Jesus. This is important to wrap our heads around. These end-time blessings of the resurrection age were the hope of Israel (cf. Acts 28:20). These Jewish leaders knew all about the pouring out of the Spirit and the triumph of God’s salvation and the defeat of his enemies. They had read Joel, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. They understood what the resurrection age meant. And now these fishermen-turned-preachers were walking around “their” temple saying that this age had arrived in Jesus, the man they had executed. Peter and John were telling the Jewish people that Jesus had launched a new and long-awaited epoch in the history of humanity. This was as bad, or worse than Jesus’ ministry. Now they were healing and preaching on their doorstep! So, they had both of them arrested, bringing them to the very place Jesus was tried and unjustly convicted. Peter and John knew full well where they were and what was happening. Without hesitation, they called them all to the person and power of Jesus. I believe there is a very contemporary message here. The church should exhibit this kind of boldness, to know Jesus and what his gospel work means for the world. To know Jesus and speak clearly about who he is. This is how we’re called to live – undaunted and unfettered!

Sermons Worth Stealing - Pt 2

And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. (Acts 3:17-21 ESV).

The next episode in the history of the early church happens on the heels of Pentecost. Peter and John are going toward the “Beautiful Gate” to enter the Temple area. A man born blind is being carried to sit and beg for the day at the gate. It was not an unusual sight. They don’t have any money to give, though they do have the power of the Gospel. The man is healed and restored which naturally leads him to follow them. It must have created quite a stir. This was the stuff of legend and old, nearly forgotten stories of the prophets of old. In fact, the only other time such things happened, the religious leaders denied it and had that man put to death. It should also be remembered that Solomon’s Portico, according to Josephus was a part of the original temple surroundings that still remained from Solomon’s time. It was a large colonnade with double columns that ran along the eastern wall in the Court of the Gentiles. Jesus taught there at the Feast of Dedication in the winter (cf. John 10:22-23). As the crowd continued to grow, Peter used the opportunity to preach to them. He began by letting them know that it was not by their power that the man had been healed, but by that of Jesus. He tells them of their denial of the true Messiah in favor of a murderer, Barabas. And then he tells them that they “killed the author of life.” This is a significant statement by Peter, in that it demonstrates that Jesus came to earth fully Lord and God, having been from the beginning, just as John’s gospel states. He tells them that he and the others are witnesses that God raised Him from the dead, and that it was by faith in Him that this man was healed. Peter would not be oblivious to the fact that among the listeners would be Pharisees and their sympathizers. It was a message that was intended for them to hear, not for the purpose of confrontation, but for the opportunity for salvation. Peter seeks to turn their gaze from himself to his Risen Lord. It is a clear call to “repent.” Perhaps that is the central message for us as well. We have no need to condemn the way a crowd is gathered as much as we must examine the message we give them when they are gathered. Whether your crowd is two or three or thousands, do not neglect the need to draw them to the only One who has the power of life! His name is Jesus!

Sermons Worth Stealing - Pt 1

But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” (Acts 2:14:21 ESV).

Recently my son asked me if I had ever preached from all the sermons found in Acts? He and I had talked about that some years ago. My response was, “Those are certainly sermons worth stealing.” However, I never got around to doing that series. So, today we will begin to look at each one of the apostolic messages recorded by Luke as a basis for encouragement and inspiration. The first is found in our reading today. It was preached by the Apostle Peter on the Day of Pentecost and “about three thousand” people were baptized (v. 41). It is the sermon that launched the church. Peter begins with a touch of humor. Some mockers were accusing the believers who spoke in tongues of being drunk. Peter could have ignored them or responded defensively, but instead he says, in effect, “It’s too early for us to be drunk!” The Jews would not normally have eaten or drunk at this hour during the Feast of Pentecost. Then, Peter explains that the phenomena they had seen and heard were “what was spoken of through the prophet Joel” (v. 16). Peter’s main point is not the particular form that the outpouring of the Spirit took, but rather that He was poured out “on all flesh.” Not just the prophets or rabbis, but even sons and daughters would experience this outpouring of the Spirit (v. 17). Not just the older men, but also younger men would know the Lord and His will (“visions”). Not just the wealthy, but even bondslaves would know the fulness of the Spirit. Not just men, but also women would have the Spirit. As the apostle Paul later taught, “by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit” (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:13). No believer today lacks the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit. That ought to be the foundation of our encouragement. We are not left to fend off the world alone. God is present within us! That is a sermon worth stealing!

Softly Call the Muster - Pt 4

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26 ESV).

Celebrate. That is the final theme of Aggie Muster. The picture I have included with today’s devotional is of that group of men on Corregidor in 1942. Trapped and facing death or a Japanese POW camp, they still took time to celebrate. No, it might not have been light-hearted; however, it was celebratory. It might not have been raucous. In fact, I rather think it was somber and hushed. This was “Softly Calling the Muster.” It symbolizes that the spirit of the dead fills the minds and hearts of the living. And it reminds us that their mission of making the world a better place remains our call. We live to give our all while we remember those who have given all. Aggies light a candle for a loved one who has passed on. This year we included two very special “adopted” Aggies, the Former President of the United States and his beloved wife, George H. W. Bush and Barbara Bush. For them and all the others, we recognize the giving Spirit of Aggies as it continues on among the living. Our reading today is a part of a larger text as the Apostle Paul reprimands the church in Corinth for their observance of the Lord’s Supper. It had degenerated to nothing more than eating and drinking. They forgot the real purpose. They neglected the memorial. They shunned their sacred duty which was born in the death of Jesus. We must not fall into that temptation. So, let me close our little series with I will close tonight with a portion of the poem written in 1943 by Dr. John Ashton, Class of 1906, at the request of E.E. McQuillen, Class of 1920. The original title was "The Heroes' Roll Call." Softly call the muster, Let comrade answer, “Here!” Their spirits hover ‘round us: As if to bring us cheer! Mark them "present" in our hearts, We’ll meet some other day. There is no Death, but Life Eterne For heroes such as they! Remember the work of Christ on your behalf! Honor Him with your service to others! Celebrate your new life!

Softly Call the Muster - Pt 3

But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28 ESV).

The second principle in Aggie Muster is conveyed in Jesus’ teaching recorded in our reading today. Honor one another through service. In front of the Memorial Student Center at A&M, there are 55 trees that surround Simpson Drill Field to honor the 55 Aggies that gave their lives in World War I. In addition, in the front hallway, there are displays honoring the eight Aggies who served during World War II and received Congressional Medals of Honor. Almost every school has a football team, albeit not as great as ours. After all, no one else has the Twelfth Man. Many other colleges and universities have great schools of agriculture and engineering. Some even have alumni gatherings that celebrate days of old. And a few have military cadets. But none combine all these elements of excellence and remembrance, tradition and affiliation, and bring them together in a single, solemn ceremony that signifies what we are as Aggies to the core of our being. In a time where culture tells us to look out for oneself, we still honor the core attribute of “ole army fight!” Texas A&M still calls us to look out for one another. If you were in the Corps of Cadets, as I was, that very first day of Freshman Orientation, “Fish Week,” you were taught the sum of the whole is greater than the individual parts. You were taught this when you were all given the same first name. It was the ubiquitous designation of “fish.” No one is elevated above another; you are all just Fish. You are “fish.” And then those fish from various communities, backgrounds and ethnic roots over the course of that first year reach final review and suddenly you know you are not alone. You have become one. And the proof is in the pudding. It was the Class of ’17 that graduated en masse to get overseas and fight and die to liberate Europe. It was those classes of the 1930’s and 1940’s who fought on the high seas; who flew missions from the air; who died and bled in foxholes and lonely islands to free millions from the forces of oppression in World War II. It was the Aggie heroes in Korea, Vietnam, and the Cold War who brought down the Iron Curtain and a murderous Soviet regime, freeing millions of Russians, millions of neighboring Republics, and people throughout Eastern Europe. And it was Aggies who fought, died and today bear the scars of the first Persian Gulf War… the War in Iraq… and the war that continues in Afghanistan today who continue to do us proud. But it’s not just Aggies on the field of battle who have advanced the cause of service. It’s Aggies in classrooms and board rooms. Aggies in factories and mills. Aggies on oil rigs, in soup kitchens, involved in charities and private giving who have put a love of country and neighbor first. That’s not just what Aggies do, that’s who we are. This is what we honor. Should believers in Jesus do any less!

Softly Call the Muster - Pt 2

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.” (John 15:12-17 ESV).

Our reading today comes from the time just prior to the crucifixion of Jesus. The thirteenth verse is particularly important to me. Along with many other traditions I was taught my first few weeks at Texas A&M, this principle was one of the most important. Remembering those who had gone before us, those who had fought and died for our freedom, those who were willing to sacrifice for others were at the heart of being an Aggie. That verse (John 15:13) is at the entrance of the Memorial Student Center. Even the grass is a means of honoring the memory of others gone before. Muster is a time to remember. As we continue in this little series, a little deeper look back to the origins of the tradition is important. It used to be that Muster was simply a celebration of our being former students; a command that all Aggies within 100 miles of each other gather to remember their time at A&M; telling their tall tales and enjoying good food. But then came 42… the year ’42. And 25 of our finest were under siege on Corregidor, led by Major General George P. Moore, Class of 1908. With the sound of Japanese guns as their backdrop, they paused to remember classmates and Aggies already lost, even with their own fate uncertain. Soon, all 25 would be captured…and only 12 would survive. As providence would have it, this particular Muster was made famous by a war correspondent who heard of the story and published it on the wire for all the world to hear. It was told again and again in countless communities and circles all over the nation. It gathered a significance that went so much further than a mere memorial for friends and fellow Aggies. What made it significant was not that the story was told, but that it happened. That, men under siege, found it worth their time and devotion to remember their fallen friends. Their own lives at risk, they thought of others. And, really, that is the meaning of being an Aggie… fighting for and living for causes greater than self. Should it be any less for any believer in Christ? We have the ultimate example of love and devotion in Jesus. Love one another beyond the convenient. Love one another beyond the differences. Love one another!

Softly Call the Muster - Pt 1

And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. (Luke 24:31-35 ESV).

Today, the day after Easter, is a particular holiday that for Aggies that is made even better by the celebration of “Muster.” Muster began in some capacity in 1883 and grew over the decades. No matter the forum, it was always a place to remember the good ‘ole days and enjoy the company of fellow Aggies. In 1922 it was decided that April 21 would become the official day for Muster (though this year, because of Easter, it has moved a day). Like every Aggie knows, once it had happened twice it was officially a tradition. In fact, the official “Muster explanation” is given for us in the following: Aggie Muster is a tradition unique to Texas A&M University that embodies and perpetuates the Aggie Spirit. Celebrated on April 21st every year, Muster engages thousands of Aggies worldwide to honor and celebrate the Aggie Family – past, present, and future. It is famously quoted “If there is an A&M man in one hundred miles of you, you are expected to get together, eat a little, and live over the days you spent at the A&M College of Texas.” Although over a century has passed and thousands of Musters have been held, the roots remain the same of honoring the Aggies who have passed and celebrating those gathered together. Perhaps the most famous Muster occurred in 1942 on the island of Corregidor in the Philippines during World War II. It was there that Aggie soldiers defending the island gathered together to take role and honor those of their friends that had died defending the island. Of the 24 Aggies trapped and facing death or capture, 12 died. When MacArthur returned and defeated the Japanese recapturing the strategic island, the story was told and became an incredible inspiration to win that war. Even four years later Muster was held there with over 100 Aggies present, “softly calling the muster” of those who had given their lives for freedom. In my home county in Texas, the Parker County Aggie Club will gather this evening for our annual Muster. I have been asked to be the speaker. Over the next few days I hope to both educate you in the traditions and inspire you with the depth of the call to remember the great gift of Christ we have just celebrated. Muster is a time for Aggies to remember, honor, and celebrate. Once the Easter Eggs have all been found, the food all eaten, and family returned to their homes, we can do no less as followers of Christ. Our hearts should “burn within us” as with those disciples traveling to Emmaus! Everyday ought to be spent remembering the greatest of all gifts, the death of our Savior. His resurrection allows us to know death is not the end. It is only a beginning!

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).

The shout in many of our churches today will be, “He is risen! He is risen indeed!” The question then is: What is the implication for us of the stunning claims and reality of Easter? Above all, we must say that the resurrection vindicates Good Friday and Jesus’ death. His death really did cover the sins of his people. And, it means our sins are forgiven (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:17). His death really did cover the sins of his people. It really did provide a perfect righteousness for us. The Apostle Paul says he “was delivered up,” that is, to the cross “for of our trespasses and raised for our justification” (cf. Romans 4:25), meaning that just as our sin brought him to the cross, the finished work of taking care of our sins brought him out of the grave. So, practically speaking, one thing you could say of Easter is that every day, the promises of God to me to help me every minute of my life are secured by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, because the resurrection vindicates the cross when those promises were bought for me. And, then, because of Easter we also know that Jesus is going to give me a body like his resurrected body (cf. Philippians 3:20). When I die, and I am raised from the dead, Christ will give me a body like his glorious body. So Jesus’ risen body is a forerunner, it is the first fruit, it is a kind of paradigm of the way all of his people are going to have new bodies. And then, as if that were not great enough, the Apostle Paul says that “when the freedom of the glory of the children of God” comes to pass and they are raised from the dead and given glorified bodies, the whole creation gets made over as a suitable galactic playground for those of us who have been given bodies that will never sin again, will never get sick again, all tears wiped away (cf. Romans 8:21). The implications of Easter are simply staggering. They are personally precious for every day’s life of struggle, and they are globally precious because the resurrection guarantees that this whole created order is going to be made new. He IS risen! He is risen indeed!

Holy Saturday

A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. (John 16:16-20 ESV).

I hope you have enjoyed this week’s devotionals reading them as much as I have writing them. It has been good looking at some of the things of this pivotal week in our faith. I have attempted to look at each day with a different approach than I might have had in the past. After so many years writing, this task gets to be more difficult than you might imagine. However, today we come to Holy Saturday. For some churches, today might be a day of events; there may be a Easter Egg Hunt for the children, or community fellowships celebrating the hopeful anticipation of the Resurrection. For many it is a day of waiting in silence, knowing that tomorrow brings great joy. That’s not the emotion the disciples and followers of Jesus expressed on the day after their leader, teacher, and friend was executed. Only four verses in the whole Bible give us a picture of what happened on Saturday. In Matthew 27:62-66, we read that the religious leaders of the time went to Pilate on the Sabbath (Saturday) to ensure Jesus’ tomb had extra guard and protection. Ironically, the same people who crucified Jesus are breaking the Sabbath by traveling and working on that day. What the religious leaders don’t know is that the disciples aren’t plotting a way to steal Jesus’ body, but instead mourning in the silence and unanswered prayers of that Saturday. Jesus is still dead. He’s still in the grave. They are probably terrified that they are next; that the mere association with Jesus will lead to their crucifixion. They’re grieving the loss of a friend and teacher. They’re humiliated they really believed that he was the Messiah–the savior of the world. Doubt creeps in. The disciples must have forgotten about a conversation Jesus had with them just a couple days earlier. In our reading today, Jesus takes time to warn them about the grief, disappointment, doubt, and silence they would encounter during the days to come. Jesus is talking about his death-about the darkest day the disciples will ever experience. He knows they will be met with silence. But he’s asking them to wait. To hold on to the hope he offers them-the hope that lies beyond the pain and grief and doubt. That’s comforting for me. We’re not alone in not fully understanding God’s silence. But despite the silence, Jesus promises that joy is coming. In our times of pain, grief, misunderstanding, and confusion, we can hold on to this promise-one that Jesus gave his disciples some 2000 years ago: joy is coming. It is a joy that no one can take away. It brings me to the refrain of tomorrow: He is risen. He is risen indeed!

Good Friday

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. (Romans 8:1-3 ESV). The devastating fire that destroyed the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France has shocked the world. However, in what many are calling a miracle, the central cross somehow remained intact. As you can see from the photo, taken by a reporter for Le Monde, the crucifix at the altar of the cathedral stood tall despite the blaze which ravaged the building on Monday. Even though little more than a smoldering pile of what appeared to be the charred remains of the roof and spire lay smoking in front of the altar, the cross glowed from within the gloom. Some of the cathedral's most precious objects, including a relic purported to be the crown of thorns worn by Jesus on the cross, were whisked away to a secure facility. However, the cross was unable to be removed.

As I am writing this on the day after the fire, much news of the event has yet to be released. President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to rebuild the cathedral. In fact, immediately following the news reports, two rival billionaires in France have given $600 million to launch the campaign to rebuild. Having visited there I can say I hope it will be restored to its former glory; however, the glory of the still standing cross cannot be overlooked today. On a day that we call “Good Friday” it is difficult to capture any good from the events of the day. Early that morning Jesus was brought before Annas and Caiaphas (cf. Matthew 26:57-68). Jesus’ trial began afterward. He appears before Pilate, is sent over to Herod, and then back to Pilate where he is sentenced to be crucified (cf. John 18:28-19:16). From there he is savagely scourged and forced to carry his cross, with Simon of Cyrene’s help, to Golgotha. (cf. Matthew 27:27-32). All of this happens before 9 am. By 3 pm, the sky is darkened and Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” With his last breath, he said “It is finished,” and he died (cf. Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34–39; Luke 23:46; John 19:30). He was buried, the tomb sealed, and guards set to watch. They further sealed the grave with a large round stone built to roll like a giant wheel into place, covering the mouth of the tomb. Everyone expected he would remain in that tomb, because that’s what happens with those who are dead and buried. They stay dead and they stay buried. That would have been bad news! The good news was, like the cross of Notre Dame, Jesus was not to be conquered by anything of this world. Sunday morning, he arose! The work of the cross remained, eternally fixed in history. The atonement had been made. It was indeed a finished work. Like Paul we can shout that there is now no condemnation for us who are in Christ. That makes it a GOOD Friday!

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).

It is the night before Jesus is crucified. The twelve apostles are eating with Jesus that most important of all meals. Jesus had just said one of them would betray him (v. 21). John was reclining next to Jesus and asked him who this could be (v. 25). Jesus answered, probably in a low voice so that only John could hear since when Judas left the others had no idea what was going on, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it” (v. 26). Then he dipped the bread and gave it to Judas. And said “What you are going to do, do quickly” (v. 27). And in verse 30 Judas leaves. Then he speaks these incredible words in our reading today. At the very moment when the final betrayal has been set in motion, Jesus says, “Now is the Son of Man glorified.” This little word, Now, is spoken. Now that the final process of being handed over to be killed is in motion, now the Son of Man, Jesus, will shine with the greatest glory. And God will shine gloriously in him. Of all the disciples, only John could at this moment feel the full amazement at this. John had heard Jesus say that Judas was the one who would betray him. At that moment he must have been utterly stunned. Suddenly, in a flash, a whole cluster of Judas' peculiar behaviors take on a whole new meaning. So this is why he gave Mary such a hard time for anointing Jesus with expensive anointment (cf. John 12:3-6). He likely wanted her to give that to Jesus, so he would have access to it. John watches Judas leave, and he can't believe what he is watching. And while John’s mind is churning with the incredible news that Judas is a betrayer, and may be doing his foul work at this very moment, he hears Jesus say, “Now is the Son of Man glorified.” Glory? Then, in what must have been one of the most emotionally charged moments of John’s life, the next word he heard was, “Little children” (teknia, verse 33a). So here’s John with his heart bursting with conflicting emotions: Betrayal has been put in motion. The glory of God is about to be seen. Jesus is leaving them. And, in his absence, love for each other is to bind them together and bind them to him. And in a moment of conflicting and intensified emotion, Jesus reaches for a word of singular affection and calls them all “little children” (verse 33). That is the heart of the gospel. Not sheep, but little children are the focus of God’s love. And, that is the message of encouragement for me today. I pray it will be yours as well. You see, God cares for us as his “little children.” It is a measure of love and care we cannot fully grasp. This is the depth of His mercy! Immerse yourself in that today!

Holy Wednesday

Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Matthew 23:37-39 ESV).

The Scripture is silent concerning the events of Wednesday before the crucifixion and resurrection. We do know that Jesus went to the Temple every day when he was in Jerusalem. This would be true for the last week of ministry before his death. Our reading today comes from those events ascribed to Tuesday. This is a culmination of a day of truth. He could speak truth to power and stand up for the people that the power was crushing. Every day, Jesus brought truth to those who did not want to hear it, for it meant that they would have to change their ways and start living according to the plan of God rather than their own plan. They would not have it. Every day Jesus came to them temple, he met opposition, derision, and people trying to trap him at every turn. Since we believe, in light of Scripture, that our very bodies are Temples that are meant to be kept holy and pure, we can also understand this day in light of that teaching. The Apostle Paul said: Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 ESV). We are meant to act as living sanctuaries, bringing hope, healing, and wholeness to those in desperate need of it. The Son of God is within that Temple, this very Holy Wednesday, speaking truth to power. My hope is that we will listen to his cry for justice, mercy and humility. We can do this by placing ourselves in His plan for our lives. While that is often difficult, it is always best. Of course, we may oppose, deride and ignore Jesus’ cry. We may sit in silence and reflect on the Son of God’s call for change upon your life; however, it cannot be overlooked that His call to us is to begin to rebuild our Temple in God’s image. While I do not know what that specifically means in your life today; I do know it is a clear call of our Savior. Perhaps it will be a renewal of your prayer life; or, it could be a deeper interest in the study of the Scripture; or an increased interest in some aspect of ministry within the circle of your influence. Whatever building your Temple looks like, begin today!

Holy Tuesday

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (Matthew 23:1-12 ESV).

“Love does not always come in hugs and flowery words, but as words that cut like a sword through the aspects of ourselves that enslave us and bring us down.” (Todd Lattig). The significance of Holy Tuesday is not easily grasped. In a single day, Jesus would simultaneously condemn the religious authorities while confirming His deity. The cleansing of the Temple on the day before caused the Pharisees to question Jesus’ right to do “these things.” Jesus had not received His authority from the religious leaders, so they wanted answers. Attempts were made to force Jesus to state that He had divine power from God. Then He could be charged with blasphemy, even arrested. Knowing their motives, Jesus agreed to answer their questions if they first answered whether John the Baptist’s work was human or divine. If divine, John’s preaching affirmed Jesus as divine. If human, those who followed John would riot. It was the Sanhedrin’s responsibility to know the difference between true and false prophets, yet they shamefully admitted they didn’t know. Thus, Jesus did not answer their question (cf. Matthew 21:23-27). So, the conspiracies to trap Jesus escalated. Israel’s religious leaders had one goal: to get rid of Jesus of Nazareth. If this meant cooperating with a lifelong enemy, any means would be justified. The Pharisees, who opposed Rome and its intrusion on the Jewish way of life, and the Herodians, supporters of Herod the Great, joined forces. Even the Sadducees, religious liberals who denied a resurrection, angels, or spirits, attempted to discredit Jesus. Jesus’ answers were direct and clear. Our reading today is a scathing condemnation of the ways of religion for religion’s sake. This is certainly a contemporary word for our culture. Our focus must be on the role of a true servant to God and to others. Make that your prayer today.

Lent - Pt 45

The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. (Matthew 27:62-66 ESV).

If we had any doubt that Pilate had Jesus executed to prevent a riot, rather than because Christ was guilty of attempting to overthrow Rome (cf. Matthew 27:11-26), the circumstances of his burial prove that the governor believed Jesus was innocent as charged. Most crucified victims in ancient Rome were left on the cross even after they were dead. It was not unusual, however, for Roman authorities to grant the body of a crucified person to his friends or family, provided he was not guilty of high treason. Pilate evidently did not think Jesus was guilty at all, otherwise he would not have given Christ’s body to Joseph of Arimathea. However, the Jewish religious authorities saw a need for further precautions. Like many other first-century Jews, Jesus was buried outside the city in a cave hewn in a limestone hill. The “great stone” (v. 60) that sealed His grave was set on an incline in a channel cut in the rock, making it easier to cover the tomb by rolling the stone downhill. It took several men to roll the stone back up the incline, which discouraged grave robbers and wild animals from trying to enter the tomb. This refutes any theory that Jesus swooned, and, not having died, regained consciousness and rolled the stone away Himself. Other details that corroborate the historicity of the resurrection are the seal and contingent of soldiers placed at the entrance to the tomb (vv. 62–66). The seal was a soft, moldable substance, probably clay, that was imprinted with the Roman imperial seal and attached to the stone with a rope. Breaking the seal would incur the Empire’s wrath, even if someone could get past the guards. Their fear of Jesus’ resurrection is only a further assurance to us today. I wish we could have been there to see the expression and reaction of the guards. The Scripture will tell us there was an earthquake, the stone was rolled back, and like lightening an angel appears. The guards fell in fear, “as if dead” (cf. Matthew 28:4). The message to the women is the same to us: “Don’t be afraid.” We face many fears today. None of them are a match for our Savior and His grace in us. Let that really penetrate your life today! All your sins are forgiven and you are redeemed! Nothing can change that truth!

Lent - Pt 44

It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. (Luke 23:54-56 ESV).

Now we come to the final characters in the story of Jesus’ death. These are the women of our reading who hastily prepared Jesus’ body for burial. In Judea, if there was an approaching feast day, the bodies of crucified men were taken down and given to relatives. A body was not allowed to hang on a cross after dark. Philo, the Jewish philosopher, writes: Men who had been crucified when this festival and holiday was at hand, were taken down and given up to their relations, in order to receive the honors of sepulchre, and to enjoy such observances as are due to the dead; for … the sacred character of the festival ought to be observed. (Philo, Flaccus, 10.83). John’s gospel says that Jesus was buried according to the Jewish tradition. This means that the body was washed before it was wrapped in a simple shroud made of fine linen, normally a task performed by the women relatives of the deceased. There were prescribed psalms and prayers said at this time. The body was then placed on a stone shelf within the tomb. Jesus’ burial was quickly done. Everything had to be finished in the sort period remaining before sundown as all the people involved were strict Jews, carefully observant of the Sabbath. There is stress on the fact that Jesus was buried in a ‘new’ tomb. If Jesus’ body was the only body in a new tomb, this would rule out the possibility of several dead bodies being confused. Keep in mind that the gospel writers were telling their story after the Resurrection, when there were plenty of doubters to question the veracity of Jesus’ death and Resurrection. Matthew’s gospel (27:62-66) mentions an additional measure to prevent the theft of Jesus’ body: the posting of a guard at the tomb and the sealing of the tomb. Admittedly this was done on the Saturday morning, but the guard would certainly have checked the tomb first to see if Jesus’ body was there. All of these factors provided the abundant measure of testimony that Jesus was indeed dead, buried, and resurrected. God left nothing to the imagination of man concerning this great miracle. That should give us even more assurance that our eventual victory is also assured. Jesus is but the first resurrection. As believers we shall follow in his footsteps there also. Eternal life is ours because he has gone before us and conquered even death! Rejoice!

Lent - Pt 43

Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. (Luke 23:50-53 ESV).

We learn from Matthew and Mark that Joseph was bold enough to ask Pontius Pilate for the body of Jesus. Pilate, the Roman governor who ruled over the land of the Jews, was the one who had ordered the crucifixion of Jesus. After making sure that Jesus was dead, Pilate allowed Joseph to take his body. Joseph took the body of Jesus, wrapped him in linens and placed him in a rock tomb. Matthew tells us that the tomb had never been used before. Matthew and Mark inform us that the tomb had been carved out of rock. After placing the body of Jesus in the tomb, Joseph of Arimathea rolled a large stone to close the entrance to the tomb. It was from this tomb that Jesus was resurrected. In our reading today from the book of Luke, we are told that Joseph of Arimathea was a good man who believed in the teachings of Jesus, and that he was a member of the Sanhedrin who had not consented to the action that the council had taken against Jesus. It is significant that Jesus was buried in "another’s" tomb, which is expressive of his humility. In his lifetime, Jesus had nowhere to lay down his head to sleep, and at his death had no tomb of his own to lay his dead body in. Thus, it denotes that what he did and suffered, and what was done to him, were not for himself but for others. He died not for his own sins, but for the sins of others, and he was buried, not so much for his own sake, but for others, that they and their sins might be buried with him. It was also a "new" tomb. That should point us to the truth that he is the one who makes all things new. He made the grave for his people quite a new and another thing to what it was. When he dwells in the hearts of men, old things pass away, and all become new. In addition, this tomb was "hewn out of the rock," as was sometimes the manner of rich men to do, to prepare such sepulchres while living for the greater security of their bodies when dead (cf. Isaiah 22:16), and this prevented any such objection to be made to the resurrection of Christ that the apostles, through some subterraneous passages, got to the body of Christ and took it away. To all this may be added that at the door of this new tomb hewn out of a rock a great stone was rolled, and this stone sealed by the Jews themselves; so that no pretence could be made for a fraud. Joseph’s last service for Jesus points us directly to the miracle of redemption and eternal life!

Lent - Pt 42

It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things. (Luke 23:44-49 ESV).

Every believer carries a measure of the guilt for Jesus’ death. If it were not for our sin, we would have no need of a Savior. While hymns convey this idea of physically being present and participating in his death, we know this is figurative. However, while we were not present at the time of His death, we bear the guilt of providing the need for His death. This is not the case of the Roman centurion. We know little about the man except that he was probably a hardened solider and commanded a detachment of what were most likely Syrian-born soldiers. He had, in all likelihood, presided over the crucifixion of hundreds or even thousands of men and must have become hardened to the agony these men endured. It is likely that this man was present from the time Jesus was brought before Pilate right until the Lord’s body was lowered from the cross and given to Joseph of Arimathea. He may even have been present with the detachment of soldiers that aided in Jesus’ arrest the night before His crucifixion. This man would have accompanied Jesus from the time the Jewish leaders brought him to the Praetorium. He would have ordered his men to beat Him, caring little for who He was, knowing Him only to be another in a long line of people he was commanded to execute. He would have been nearby when his men dressed Jesus in a robe, pressed a crown of thorns onto His head and walked Him to Golgotha. He would have given the order to proceed with the crucifixion. However, he is not mentioned for his cruelty, ruthlessness or ability as a soldier. He is mentioned for something far more important, for a marvelous transformation that occurred immediately after the death of one of his prisoners. Having seen so many crucifixions, the centurion knew what to expect from prisoners. He saw something vastly different in Jesus. We can only guess when the centurion began to realize that perhaps, just perhaps, Jesus was exactly who He claimed to be. What we do know is exactly when He knew with full certainty. Matthew tells us “when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!” Luke expands on this saying “when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!” And just like that, the man who presided over Jesus’ execution, the man who ordered the nails to be driven into His hands and feet, became the first person to become a believer after Jesus’ death. How about you?

Lent - Pt 41

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43 ESV).

The life of Jesus was a mission of redemption. His death was no exception. The crucifixion of Jesus is a lesson in living. Jesus loved to teach by example. His death is another one of those incredible lessons. Our reading tells us that one of the other condemned men was ridiculing him (vv. 39-41). But the other criminal rebuked him. Jesus was suffering in a way that we cannot begin to grasp or even partially understand, so too was this criminal. He was never to come down from that cross alive, and yet he saw, or sensed something in Jesus that moved him in such a way that it became the road to his salvation. If ever there was a soul hovering on the brink of Hell it was this criminal, a virtual nobody hanging beside Jesus, the Son of God. In a heartbeat, he voiced what his intuition had detected; that Jesus was indeed the messiah! What Jesus did next was a wonderful example of understanding, acceptance, love, and compassion all wrapped up in one conclusive act. It is the epitome of the life of Jesus, strength thru adversity. Without hesitation Jesus responded to his plea for mercy: "Jesus answered him, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise'" (Luke:23:43). We can learn from one of the two who were crucified next to Jesus. It is never too late to repent and ask the Lord to accept us. Jesus cleansed this man from his sins, received him graciously, and justified him unconditionally. He extended the gift of eternal life to him. We should learn from this incredible scene. Jesus’ love and mercy can subdue our doubts and ease our pain. As we come to Him without excuse and offer our heart and soul to Him, we can experience the awesome love and grace of the Lord. Jesus never strayed from His objective which was to teach us unconditional love and acceptance towards each other. His death was a testimony that salvation is a reality for all of us when we voice our faith. Jesus gave us a lesson in forgiveness while He hung there upon the cross suffering for us, dying for us. Perhaps today is your day to simply whisper a prayer of repentance and experience the flood of God’s grace into your heart and soul. It is never too late in this life!

Lent - Pt 40

And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” (Luke 23:27-31 ESV).

If you are able to take the same route through Old Jerusalem, twisting through the limestone passageways, you may hear the tapping cadence of the Greek Orthodox bishop’s scepter. Dressed in liturgical costume, the bishop will also be swinging a smoking brazier of incense in rhythmic arcs as he leads a cluster of solemn, black-garbed priests through the crowds of people. They follow the Via Dolorosa every Thursday. Some will follow them while others are merely going about their daily tasks. The streets are busy with tourists and locals alike. The shops are busy. Many seem unaware that this is the very way of Jesus so many years ago that gave them forgiveness. When I walked that way I can recall a flood of thoughts. I did remember this “station of the cross” commemorating the weeping of the Daughters of Jerusalem. There are, of course, no archeological remains to commemorate the tears of Jerusalem’s daughters. The Gospel chronology recounts that by the time Jesus spoke to the women, Simon was already conscripted as His cross-bearer and crucifixion was a few heartbeats away. This is not the first time that the “daughters of Jerusalem” appear in the Biblical narrative. They figure prominently as the muse of the Beloved in the Song of Solomon sonnet. They helped her choose rightly between the flashy wealth of the king and the ardent true love of the Shepherd. The women in Luke attempt to do the same. They call to the Beloved — Israel — to choose between a powerful, consolidated leadership and Jesus the Good Shepherd. The daughters of Jerusalem are the conscience of the nation. On the day when Jesus spoke to the daughters of Jerusalem, they took the green tree and nailed the Savior of the world to it. The women wept because they thought Jesus had no one to carry on His name and His line would perish. But don’t cry for Him: For better or worse, we are His progeny. In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus… an inheritance that can never perish… kept in heaven for you (1 Peter 1: 3, 4). This is the grace to be found in this time. Draw it into your heart as we near Easter.

Lent - Pt 39

And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. (Luke 23:26 ESV).

Continuing our journey through Lent takes us through the last week of Jesus’ earthly ministry. So much has been written about these days that it is often difficult to notice some of the more obscure moments. Today, our reading takes us to one of those moments. It is given just a passing nod by Luke; however, it was much more important than we would not today. It was the conscription of Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross of Jesus. All of the Synoptic Gospels mention this part of the story. Specifically they recall the name of this man and record it. That alone is significant. However, there are some other things we ought to note that impact this part of the passion. Since Cyrene was located in modern day Libya; and, many have suggested that Simon was a dark-skinned African man who had come to Jerusalem to worship during the Passover. However, since only his hometown was specified and many Jews lived in Cyrene during this time, his ethnicity is unknown for certain. The known facts given about Simon of Cyrene include the following. First, he was a worshiper of the God of the Jews. This likely meant he was a dispersed Jewish man who had returned for the Passover celebration. Second, he was a father and had brought his two sons, Alexander and Rufus, to celebrate the Passover (cf. Mark 15:21). They were likely old enough to travel to Jerusalem from Cyrene, likely 12 or older at the time. Nothing is mentioned of their mother so her status is unknown. It should also be noted that people from Cyrene were among the first Christian believers at the Day of Pentecost (cf. Acts 2:10). Perhaps Simon, Alexander, and Rufus were among those who heard and believed. In addition, some believers from Cyrene fled Jerusalem following the death of Stephen (cf. Acts 7) and began sharing their faith in Antioch. Do you see how this event almost seems insignificant or coincidental? He was just a nameless face in a sea of faces to those soldiers. Yet, they picked him. As a result of this one moment he likely saw the blood of Jesus and perhaps touched the broken body of Christ on the day he died. He would have been still in Jerusalem at the time of Pentecost. He would have heard Peter’s sermon, likely becoming a part of those first thousands to believe. It is not a stretch to then understand the further mention of Rufus later in the Book of Acts. They must have took their message back to their home and become the first of many to embrace the missionary task of introducing the Gospel to others in their circles of influence. This is God’s methodology. I wonder how you may have been touched by the sacrifice of Jesus? I wonder who you are called to tell your story to this year of Lent?

Lent - Pt 38

When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. (John 13:12-17 ESV).

The NIV translates verse 1: “Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.” In this unexpected act of foot washing, Jesus was communicating something profound about the nature of divine love. Love is not simply what Jesus does, but love is who he is. As we near the close of our forty days of Lent, we ought to pay particular attention to the many actions of Jesus in this last week of his earthly ministry. It communicates much more than mere detail. Often when we consider loving someone, we think in terms of actions and behaviors. We ask ourselves, “What’s the loving thing to do?” But Jesus’ unexpected, self-effacing act of service leads us to ask the antecedent question, “Who am I?” Without first asking this question, we can unknowingly place limits on our love because we are not operating out of a gospel-transformed identity. For example, if we functionally see ourselves as orphans needing to look out for ourselves instead of as God’s beloved children, we will limit our generosity towards others out of fear of not having enough. Likewise, if we think we are righteous by our own hard work, there will be boundaries to the way we are willing to serve others because our pride keeps us from serving those who “aren’t deserving.” When we look to Christ we find a beautiful freedom to serve others, arising from the security of his identity: “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant …” (Philippians 2:6-7, NIV). Jesus was able to serve in a way that no one expected because he knew the Father’s love intimately. The same heart that led him to wash the disciples’ feet would lead him to the cross. Because of Christ we have the same privileged status and security with the Father, and so we become free to serve in the radical, loving ways in which he has served us. Put that into practice as we approach Easter!

Lent - Pt 37

Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. (Matthew 26:14-16 ESV).

Even when Jesus’ life was slipping away from him, he remained remarkably in control. He predicted his arrest and crucifixion before the religious leaders met to conspire against him. He knew that Judas, one of his trusted apostles, would betray him. How disturbing that must have been to Judas to know that Jesus could see right through his charade. Though humans have their plots and schemes, it is God’s plan that always prevails. Nothing can interfere with what he has purposed to do. And nothing is more central to God’s eternal plan than that Jesus, the Son of Man, would be delivered up to be crucified. The amount paid to Judas was a prophetic fulfillment (cf. Zechariah 11:12-13) that should be understood. By God’s direction the prophet demanded wages. He was basically asking, “What am I worth to you?” Zechariah may not have understood the meaning or significance of what happened next. He received 30 pieces of silver. Likewise, Judas approached the Jewish leaders and asked what they were willing to pay him to betray Jesus to them. He was also asking, “What is He worth to you?” You’d think they’d be willing to pay anything to be rid of Him; however, they gave what had been foreordained, unknowingly fulfilling Scripture. They thought they were being sly. This was the price to be paid for a slave who died (cf. Exodus 21:32) It showed how little they thought of Jesus. Little did they know the final outcome of their act would be the crowning even of history. Our encouragement from this event is in the midst of our own chaotic journey. When things seem not to cohere, when life seems unmanageable, great comfort may be found in remembering Jesus’ own experience at the end of his life. Though humans plotted against him and succeeded in executing their plan, nevertheless they could not thwart the plan of God. This is our hope. There is great contentment to be found in knowing that nothing can interfere with the plan of him who is in control! He is at work in all the particulars for his good purposes. By looking to Jesus, particularly his death for us, we discover what is central to God’s plan for us: through Jesus’ death we find life, through his blood, which is shed for us, we experience the exodus from enslaving sin and the freedom of living in his love.

Lent - Pt 36

And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. And when evening came they went out of the city. (Mark 11:15-19 ESV).

Every year at Passover thousands of Jews came from all over Israel and Judea to offer sacrifices at the temple in Jerusalem. Since many traveled long distances, they often purchased their animal sacrifices in Jerusalem rather than hauling them from home and risking an injury or a blemish that would make them an unworthy sacrifice. It was a convenience for Jewish worshippers to purchase their sacrifices once they arrived. However, the market for these transactions had been set up in the Court of the Gentiles, where non-Jewish seekers of God came to worship. Thus, at Passover, the temple courtyard was filled with livestock, sellers of livestock and money-changers, who exchanged regional currencies for Jewish money. When Jesus saw this, he was angry, so angry that he overturned tables and placed an embargo on merchandise. We might wonder why? Weren’t the merchants just trying to help the travelers worship God? Perhaps. But they were doing it at the expense of those from “all nations” who were seeking God, counting their worship as insignificant. In calling them “robbers” Jesus may have been referring to their greedy financial transactions and the way they were robbing Gentiles of their place of worship. There is more, however. In a similar account of his cleansing the temple, Jesus was asked for a sign of his authority. He replied, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). But he wasn’t speaking about the building; “he was speaking about the temple of his body” (John 2:21). In other words, when he died, the temple and its entire system, the priesthood, the sacrifices, and the glory died with him because he himself was the Passover Lamb, high priest and Shekinah glory. Thus, when the temple curtain split at the death of Christ (cf. Mark 15:38), the barrier between God and humanity came down for everyone. Jesus became the “house of prayer for all nations.” Today there is no need to travel to the temple in Jerusalem to worship. Nor is there any distinction between Jewish and Gentile worshippers. Worship is no longer attached to a place, but a person. Jesus is the temple. He is where we meet God. Come to Him!

Lent - Pt 35

And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” (Mark 14:3-9 ESV).

Our reading today is one of the most striking examples of the contrast between the way of the world and the way of Jesus. Our culture prizes success measured by the value of the things we place around us. The picture I have chosen today is actually a backdrop used by professional photographers to simulate the softness and serenity of the exchange of vows between two people about to be married. I’m sure it is a real place; however, it is not real. When I went to the manufacturer’s site, I found it instructive reading the instructions for the care and use of this product. I have absolutely no problem with using such things for documenting special moments in our lives through professional photography; however, isn’t it interesting that we typically must find a facsimile of reality to create the “perfect memory”? Today our brief meditation reminds us that when we worship the wrong things nothing else will come out quite right. Our call is to worship the living God who has given himself for us in the sacrifice of Jesus. This is the genuine reality that will bring a new sense of what matters. This allows us to correctly prioritize our life. In turn that produces an incredible truth. Suddenly we find ourselves “wasting” our lives on Jesus by giving them to his agenda rather than our own. That will include caring about justice for the poor. Contrary to what is sometimes assumed, Jesus is not minimizing our responsibility to the poor in this passage. He actually is quoting from Deuteronomy 15, which encourages radical generosity to the poor. However, such generosity flows from worshiping God. First things first! Put God ahead of all else as the only one worthy of your worship and you will find you are pouring yourself out in all sorts of beautiful ways in service to others. When we value these things we will see Jesus more clearly than ever before!

Lent - Pt 34

[Jesus said] “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. (John 12:27-33 ESV).

The weather is beginning to warm enough so that the danger of a freeze in our area is minimal. It will soon be time to plant some tomato plants. I must confess that I usually start with larger plants. I’m not very good at “waiting.” There was a time when I actually built a walk-in greenhouse and grew most of the plants and flowers we wanted from seeds. I recall that it was tedious and difficult to wait for the sprouting plants to emerge from the soil. I wanted to see what was going on underneath the soil. I suppose I should have paid better attention to the Scripture. The seeds were dying in favor of the new life of the resulting plant! This is basis for our reading today. Here, Jesus predicts “what kind of death he was going to die”; it would be one that would destroy Satan’s death grip on the world, raise Jesus in victory from the horrors of the crucifixion and grave, and draw people from all over the world to him (v. 32). He also reiterates his sobering template for all who would follow after him and be known as his disciples. From the early days of his ministry in John, Jesus has been alluding to his “hour.” This is a reference to the appointed time when he would undergo suffering and death for the sins of the world. But through this humiliation Jesus also strangely radiates the “glory” of God to humanity. God “glorifies his name” not only through the earthly ministry of Christ but also his death. The lesson is very clear. Seeds are living things that must die in order to reproduce; they carry the promise of future life. On the surface, Christ’s death looks to the world like a disaster, but by falling “into the earth” (v. 24), he is able to raise up followers and bring “many sons to glory” (cf. Hebrews 2:10). However, following Christ carries a cost: many of the original disciples were to die excruciating deaths themselves, leading Tertullian to conclude that “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” Christ’s disciples must always “die” to themselves to find “living hope” (cf. 1 Peter 1:3-5) in Christ. Here Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s observation on discipleship rings true: “when Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Don’t miss the truth that this process is the way to life! Celebrate that today!

Lent - Pt 33

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:23-27 ESV).

After spending days and nights with Jesus, witnessing his words and works first hand, Peter could make an absolute confession that Jesus was the Christ, the promised one of God. Those further from Jesus were less resolute in their faiths, often believing him to be a prophet, but those who followed him regularly knew that he was not simply a messenger, but the message itself. After Peter’s confession, Jesus tried to help them understand his mission and what it looked like to follow him, but Jesus was not the kind of Messiah they were expecting, and following him was not what they thought it was going to be like. Jesus issues a clear call to those who might follow him, that allegiance to him requires denying yourself, taking up your cross daily and following him. Then and now his words are difficult. We live in a culture that teaches us to glorify ourselves and to pursue comfort, control and the satisfaction of our desires above all else. To deny oneself and pursue the things of God can feel like death, but that is what Jesus calls us to. He tells us that to follow him we will have to relinquish all control and endure suffering and rejection, but he also promises that this will make us like him. In him, triumph will come through suffering. Jesus is calling us to lose our lives as we know them, but only so that he might give us real and eternal life in him. In the Early American West, settlers traveled across the plains and mountain passes in covered wagons. In the early stages of the Western Movement, a group of travelers would employ a “Wagon Master” to lead them. He would be the one who had traveled the route before, leading other groups safely across the plains and mountains. Later, as the trail was established, groups would voluntarily band together signing covenants submitting to one of the members of the group as the leader. That part of the movement led to the ultimate demise of the settling of the western lands. Later the government stepped in with military escorts; and, finally the rail system was developed allowing people to move under the protection of the lines. The key is in following a leader who knows the path. This is the wonder of Jesus becoming flesh and enduring rejection and death. He KNOWS. He is THE way.