Setting The Stage

            I doubt that many will disagree that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus was the most dramatic scene in all of history (with the lone exception of God creating everything out of nothing, of course).  It is impossible for any human to comprehend the love, mercy, grace, kindness, etc. of God when reflecting on Jesus’ perfect sacrifice of Himself on Calvary.  Paul, who was still trying to fathom the awesomeness of that event, admitted that all else a human can master in this life in worthless in comparison to the cross of Christ (Philippians 3:4-11).

            To fully appreciate and have the faith necessary to be saved, one must come to grips with this act of God.  Jesus’ death (which paid the penalty you owed for sin), burial (which removed the sin He bore for you) and resurrection (which proved His mastery over Satan and sin and death) is the foundation of the Christian’s faith (1 Corinthians 15:12-23).  Only when these facts are firmly understood, can there be the faith needed to respond to God and be saved.

            The Bible is the history of God “setting the stage” for this divine production.  He stated His intention for bringing it to pass at the moment man and woman first sinned (Genesis 3:15).  The lineage of Seth (those who called upon the LORD) began a succession of faithful seekers.  Noah and his family were spared in the great flood, to visualize God’s disdain for sin (rebellion).  The selection of Abraham and his descendants exemplified the kind of faith essential for Jesus’ sacrifice to be effective.  Through Moses, God detailed in writing what He expected all of us to act like.  And with the worship and daily activities of the Tabernacle (and later the Temple) He taught what Jesus would do to rid us from the oppression of our sin.  I could go on and on.  Just listen to God speak through His Word, and know that He did all of this for you.

            Is that enough to show you how God really feels about you?  Does it give you a greater appreciation for all of His hard work on your behalf?  How much more do you need to know in order to trust Him completely with your life?  If He was willing to go through all of this so that Jesus’ work on earth would save you from your sin, can you not give up your simple, selfish ways and live with Him – as He wants you to?

Doug

Covering Sin

Yom Kippur is probably the most important holiday of the Jewish year.  The name of this festival is translated “Day of Atonement” in our English Bibles.  The name literally means “Day of Covering”.  The rules and regulations God decreed for this holy day are recorded in Leviticus 16 & 23.  It was a special day meant to be a teaching device explaining how, one day, God would provide a way for man’s sin to be permanently covered and removed.

Among the many ritualistic acts that were required to be performed on this day, two stand out as being the most significant: the first was the sprinkling of blood on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant.  This was the only time during the year that anyone entered the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle / temple.  After flooding the inner room with the smoke from the burning incense (to dim the glory of God’s presence), the high priest sprinkled the blood of the main sacrifice on the mercy seat seven times. 

The other significant act was the selection of twin goats.  Lots were cast to select one for the burnt offering and the other one became azazel (the goat of removal or the scapegoat).  The one chosen for slaughter provided the blood that was taken into the Holy of Holies.  The other was to be chased out into the wilderness – far away from the people, never to return – after the high priest had symbolically “transferred” the people’s sins to it.

It is in the New Testament book of Hebrews (chapters 9 & 10) where we learn that Jesus’ atonement on the cross was the fulfillment of this symbolic festival.  For it was by His blood shed on Calvary that our sins are removed; remitted; cleansed.  It was the one-time, perfect sacrifice of the sinless Son of God that (1) was freely given to pay the price for sin (death), and (2) that completely removed sin from the people (never to return), and (3) that was presented to God in heaven (the real Holy of Holies) which justifies completely those who return to Him through faith in His blood (His atoning sacrifice).  For it is by our being baptized into Christ that clothes us with Him (Gal. 3:25-26), puts our sin to death (Rom. 6:3-5) and thereby provides remission of sin (Acts 2:38) and the hope of new life in God’s presence forever.

Whew!  That’s a lot of work.  And isn’t it awesome that God did all of this for you – before you knew you needed Him to?  Before you even asked for Him to help you?  And isn’t it amazing that all He asks of you to take advantage of His special offer of atonement / covering is to surrender to Him completely, be cleansed in the prescribed way and live the rest of your life for Him?

The decision to do so becomes much clearer the more you come to know His Son Jesus.  It is also much easier to accept when one realizes how much time and energy He went through (way ahead of time) in order to make your choice so simple.  So, isn’t it time you return to Him for cleansing; for life?

Doug

Jesus’ Sacrifice

Have you ever witnessed an animal sacrifice?  Not many of us in this country have.  This is the major reason why most of us have a difficult time comprehending what it means to sacrifice.

The common interpretation is that you give up something you enjoy doing for a certain period of time in order to show someone (or God) that you are serious about a commitment you have made.  Athletes sacrifice rest and leisure in order to train to compete.  Parents sacrifice time, energy or money in order to see to the needs of their children.  Many people sacrifice by volunteering to help those in need.

Old Testament sacrifices certainly gave the Israelites the impression of how terrible their sin was, and that it was no easy matter to get rid of it.  Yet there was also the fellowship offering, and the Passover, and the Day of Atonement. Each of these sacrifices were followed by a time of feasting and celebration with others.  Could it be that we have somehow overlooked an important element in God’s definition of sacrifice?

Jesus didn’t enjoy being crucified.  It was a huge sacrifice for him to surrender his life and will and to go through all of that shame and torture.  Yet he spoke often about it as being a victory.  What it was going to do for us brought a joyous feeling to our God and Savior.  He was able to see you and me back into fellowship with him because of it.  And that was worth all of the pain and suffering he was to endure.

So what are we to make of Paul’s admonition in Romans 12:1 when he calls upon us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices?  Can he really mean that I have to give up what I want to do - more than just once or twice a week?  Does God really expect me to be so involved in “boring” religious stuff that I won’t have any time, money or energy for the things that bring me joy? 

No, but do think clearly for just a moment.  The wisest man that ever lived chased and filled himself up with everything that this life has to offer and discovered it all to be totally meaningless (Ecclesiastes 1:12-14).  After “testing” all of the things people pursue in order to find happiness, he concluded that the only thing that makes sense in life is to “fear God and keep his commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).  Even Jesus was unable to understand how anyone could chase after worldly things and end up forfeiting their soul (Matthew 16:26).

We are called on to sacrifice so that we can be free to possess and enjoy the things in life that really do matter.  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, self-control, etc are blessings that enable us to fulfill the purpose we were created for.  But the cares of this world and our selfish desires make it impossible to really take advantage of these favors from God.  That is why we must sacrifice them.  Not because God sees our happiness as being evil.  But because the cares of this world are just an allusion of the true happiness that can only be enjoyed in Christ.

Doug

The Lamb of God

I believe that John (the Baptist) was probably the greatest asset to Jesus’ earthly ministry. He was completely faithful to his commission right up to the last moment of his life. And what an extraordinary life it was.

1. He was a miracle baby; his parents were beyond their years to conceive when they received a special birth announcement.

2. He was chosen to be a Nazarite from birth; the decision was made for him (like Samson and Samuel before him) and he was totally faithful to that vow.

3. He did not enjoy the niceties of life; instead he lived simply off the land and expended all of his energy to fulfill God’s mission for his life.

4. His message of future hope drew thousands from their preoccupied lives and inspired them to make the hard choices needed to get back in line with God.

5. He stood steadfastly for God’s Word and ways preaching a difficult and, to some, an unwelcome message of truth.

6. He was eventually executed for taking a hardline stance against the immoral practices of the governing leaders of his day.

But the greatest benefit John brought to Jesus’ ministry was his training and mentoring those who would take Jesus’ message of salvation to the whole known world of their time. You see, John’s disciples became Jesus’ disciples; his audiences became Jesus’ followers.  He did such a good job preparing disciples and people that Jesus had an army of evangelists prepped and ready for action in just a few years’ time. What a remarkable feat of leadership. Jesus was obviously grateful and impressed with his work; He gave John the greatest compliment a human could receive (see Matthew 11:11).

You can easily see John’s tremendous dedication to his commission in the first chapter of the Apostle John’s Gospel (verses 29-37). As soon as the Baptist recognized Jesus as God’s Messiah (the definitive sign was the descending dove at Jesus’ baptism), he began pointing Him out to people. When it was proven to him that Jesus was the One who would bring God’s promised salvation to the world, he pointed Jesus out as the Lamb of God and started sending his followers over to Him. He knew that Jesus was the fulfillment of what all the sacrifices foreshadowed (Abraham’s God-provided lamb, the Passover lamb, the sin offering lambs, Isaiah’s suffering servant lamb, etc.). He was everything the tabernacle and temple symbolized. John, the son of a priest, recognized this about Jesus. So what else could he do but to send people to Jesus? 

But isn’t this our mission as well? Aren’t we commissioned by Jesus Himself to go into the world and make disciples for Him (Matthew 28:19-20)?  Our job then is the same as John’s. And we will be just as successful in our mission when we mature our faith to know Jesus as the fulfillment of all of God’s promises (2 Corinthians 1:19-20). Then our lives will reflect His life and teachings to those who are searching for their savior. And then it will be an automatic reaction for us to begin bringing family, friends, co-workers, neighbors to the only One who can provide what their souls need most: Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Doug

Boundless Love

Just before going to the cross and becoming the atoning sacrifice for all sin, Jesus spent some quality time with His disciples giving them last minute instructions and offering some much-needed encouragement. That evening’s dialogue in the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) spans only about 20 – 30 verses, whereas John’s account lasts for 5 chapters (13 – 17)! They all mention the Passover meal, and Jesus’ predictions regarding the disciples’ behaviors that night. But there are two glaring differences between the synoptics and John about this event: (1) John does not record Jesus instituting the Lord’s Supper as the synoptics do, and (2) John has Jesus going into great detail concerning the disciples’ kingdom work in the near future – especially the important part the Holy Spirit will enable them to accomplish.

In all of the instructions John records on this fateful night, he only mentions one command that Jesus has for His disciples: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35). What did He mean by “new”? This command has been all throughout Scripture up to this point in time, so how could it be a new one? The newness, as I see it, lies in two things:

1. We are to love the way Jesus has displayed true love for us and for others: helping the downcast, spending time with the outcast, caring for those considered to be lowly and worthless. The Greek word Jesus uses is agape which is a love that has to be worked at, planned for, and employed regardless of how others react or even accept your kindnesses.

2. This is the kind of love that binds us to God so that we are enabled to mature in our faith and produce true, Spiritual fruit (John 15:12). This kind of love is to be the motivating factor for our outward actions (our obedience to His commands). So loving Jesus the way He demonstrated His love toward us makes our connection to Him more and more secure as we grow in our faith.

Now that’s a truly “new” kind of love – one that is of divine rather than human origin; one that builds and sustains people. This love that Jesus commands us to portray is so different that outsiders will have no trouble recognizing who we belong to. Jesus’ kind of love is the undeniable sign that we are His disciples.

But here’s the truly remarkable thing about Jesus’ love that we are commanded to demonstrate: it is not just a binding love (that secures us to each other and to the only source of life-sustaining energy), but it is a boundless love that will never diminish or be lost. In the Apostle Paul’s attempt to describe agape love (1 Corinthians 13) he maintains that it is the greatest gift of God. It is the greatest because it enables us to imitate God in all of His totality (since God is love (agape) – 1 John 4:8). It is the greatest because it brings salvation to sinners and reconciles humans with God and each other (1 Peter 4:8). It is the greatest because it will continue to be practiced, shared, and enjoyed in heaven all throughout eternity.

Come to know Jesus’ love – a love that surpasses all human understanding. Allow it to bind you to Him both now and throughout eternity. Once you’re able to comprehend His love for you (even just a little bit), it will naturally overflow in your thoughts, attitudes and actions toward others. What a wonderful world this would be if more and more of Jesus’ disciples dedicated themselves to fulfilling this one command to love one another the way He loves us.

Doug

Maintaining the Connection

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he ⁵bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is ⁶thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.”

(John 15:5 - NASV)

You’ve most likely heard the adage, “Don’t get the cart in front of the horse.” It most likely came about due to the common problem of many who try to skip important steps in an effort to complete a task more quickly. It’s like hurrying up the stairs only to miss one, trip, slam your shin against the step, and endure a painful bruise. Or it may be that you didn’t calculate your route carefully and your short-cut has put you in a construction zone, on a dead-end street (in a bad part of town), or stuck in a traffic jam. What you learn is the patience required to ensure that next time you have all the necessary resources in the proper order to see a project through to a successful end.

This happens to the majority when it comes to living their lives (both their physical and spiritual lives). So many of Jesus’ teachings reinforce the need to build a life on a firm foundation – Him. The Apostle writers constantly urge Christians to use care about how they think, talk and act on a daily basis. Much of Scripture is a history of the blessings that came to those who followed the right way – God’s way and the troubles caused by people putting the spiritual cart before the spiritual horse. Fortunately we serve a loving, merciful God who has always gone to great lengths to help us correct this all-too-common characteristic. The ultimate blessing we have through our faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus the Christ, is that God’s Spirit guides us to make sure that we keep first things first. We are constantly being taught to follow a logical pattern of thinking, speaking, and action in order to fulfill the purpose we were created for in the first place.

Jesus reminded His disciples just before He went to the cross how to ensure success in their walk of life. In the verses above Jesus pointed out to them the essential requirement of maintaining a connection to Himself. For those who desire a long, healthy life the way to put the spiritual horse before the spiritual cart is to remember that . . .

1. Jesus is and always will be the vine. That’s a job appropriate only for a sinless, divine being, not a faulty, sin-damaged human. Life-sustaining energy strong enough to enrich and enliven a healthy life can only flow through the One who (a) created life and who (b) was able to live it perfectly. Getting the cart before the horse here (our trying to be the vine) will cut off the supply of nourishment and kill the plant.

2. We will always be a branch. To survive we must rely on Him to supply all of our needs. Our job is to abide in Jesus so that we have the nourishment and support of the true vine that is crucial for healthy survival. Getting the cart before the horse here severs the connection to Jesus and leads to our shriveling up and dying.

3. Bearing fruit requires we maintain a complete, unadulterated connection to Jesus. The natural result of staying closely connected to Jesus is that we (the branches) bear healthy, nourishing fruit. A loose, faulty connection produces immature, unhealthy fruit that is good for nothing else but the trash heap.

4. The result of self-reliance is that we end up being good for nothing but kindling a bonfire – the biblical description of hell. Useless plants that refuse to fulfill their purpose for planting cannot be allowed to take up valuable soil.

So here’s what we can do to ensure that the spiritual horse is in front of the spiritual cart:

1. We all want to live. Get into Christ (Galatians 3:26-27) and maintain a complete connection with Him.

2. We all want to be useful in God’s kingdom. Live in step with His Spirit (Rom. 8:9-11).

3. We all want to bear healthy fruit for God (see Galatians 5:22-23 for a short list). Tap into and use the strength God provides (Philippians 4:13).

4. No one wants to die eternally. So strive to sustain a strong connection to Jesus. Apart from Him it is impossible for us to live, survive, or to bear fruit. However the true blessing is that with Him all things are possible (Matthew 19:25-26).

Doug

Cling to Jesus

One of the main reasons for all of the turmoil in our world today is that people have lost their connection to God.  This is so because they’ve chosen to go it alone or because others are making a relationship with God very difficult.  Much of the modern philosophy being published on TV, or the radio, or in magazines, or books is extremely anti-religion of any kind. 

This is nothing new.  In fact, it was this attitude and mindset that led to the first sin (and all others afterwards).  Selfish, greedy minds need to blame others for all of their problems and frustrations.  If you don’t believe me, just listen to someone talk about the “other” drivers they encounter on the roadways (or even the customers they have to put up with at work).  All of this is evidence that the connection to God has been frayed or severed.

Jesus warned His disciples of this danger on the night He was betrayed.  The allegory of the Vine and the Branches (John 15) expresses His concern for their spiritual safety.  In this story, He emphasizes the extreme importance of staying connected to God through Him.  Judas has just become disconnected from the vine (Jesus) and there is the risk that the others might fall to the same temptation (Peter will, 3 times before dawn).  Therefore, He warns that the only way to remain alive and viable is to strive to remain connected to Him – even in the midst of severe persecution and strong temptation.

Mark Moore mentions three ways in which we abide (or remain) in God’s love through Christ (from The Chronological Life of Christ, volume 2, p. 239-240):

            1.  We must hang on to the words of Jesus (John 15:7).  Bible study, memorization, preaching, teaching fills our minds with the Word of Christ.

       2.  We must remain constant in prayer (John 15:7).  Through faithful petitions to God we are granted the faith and endurance needed to cling to the Vine (God/Jesus).

            3.  We must be busy obeying God’s commands (John 15:10-12).  Doing this will enable us to free ourselves of the sin that is the real culprit for all of life’s problems.

Spend some quality time looking closely at Jesus’ words in this allegory.  Our desire is to do what we can to correct life’s problems and this can only be accomplished successfully by abiding in Him.  God is calling each of us to commit and dedicate our souls to this cause.  With each other’s help and encouragement, God can work tremendous things in and through us.

Doug