![]() No Condemnation "There is ... now no condemnation ..." (Romans 8:1) That is the most amazing news we could hear. No condemnation! ((At the end of this devotion read the entire Chapter 8 of Romans. It will do you good, no matter how many times you have read it before!)) There was a survey. They asked people questions about the pandemic. A lot of people responded that they thought it was judgment from God. Or that God was trying to get our attention, and they were reading their Bible more than they have in a long time. Or that this could be heralding the end of the world. It's a natural reaction. Suffering comes, tragedies happen, even the latest plague, and we wonder. We look inside. We examine our lives. What have we done with our days? Have we failed to do good and done wrong instead? How have we treated others? What sins have we taken into our souls? And there is enough in each one of us to make us tremble. "Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep for ever ..." (Thomas Jefferson) But in the face of all the fears and worries Paul comes along and says, "There is therefore now no condemnation ..." (Romans 8:1) "Therefore" means we should have been paying attention to what Paul was saying before this. In the first 7 chapters of his letter to the Roman he tells about
"Therefore now no condemnation ..." is what God has been preparing and bringing us into for a very long time. In fact the plan was put in place "before the ages" (1 Corinthians 2:7), "from days of eternity" (Micah 5:2). Now it has come and no matter what anything around you looks like this is the time of "therefore now no condemnation". But this is specific and that was only the first part of the verse. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1) What does it mean to be one of "those who are in Christ Jesus"? More often we hear verses about Christ being in us. But Paul is turning that around and talking about being "in Christ." In an earlier letter Paul said, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. ..." (2 Corinthians 5:17) In a later letter Paul says that God "raised us up with Him and seated us in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus ..." (Ephesians 2:6) Being "in Christ Jesus" means that Jesus carried us in His body on the tree. Peter says, "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness." (1 Peter 2:24) To be in Jesus is to be in the shelter from the storm. It is to be kept by Jesus Himself, in the one safe place that holds together even when the entire world is coming apart. When there is chaos and turmoil all around to be "in Christ Jesus" is to have been brought safely through the time of judgment and be set free. To be "in Christ Jesus" means that we are connected with God and cannot be destroyed ever, not in all eternity. That is the shelter He gives to every one of His people. It is like it says in Psalm 46, "Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way, though the mountains fall into the heart of the sea." (Psalm 46:2) Or Psalm 27 "For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me ..." (Psalm 27:5) Or Psalm 121 "The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul." (Psalm 121:7) The promises are all bound up "in Christ Jesus." So all of us who shelter "in Christ" are not just sheltering. We are sheltering in Him with promises that last forever. Lord Jesus, You are my shelter from the storms of life; let me find my shelter in You. With You are promises, bold, eternal, enduring, and strong; let me find my strength and courage in You. You are the Savior who took all the condemnation and took it away; lift my worries and let me find my peace and joy in You. And whatever the days ahead may bring let me remember that I am safe in You. Amen.
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![]() As Time Goes By ... Day by day time passes by. The pace is constant. 24 hours and it is the next day. 7 days and it is the next week. Life goes on, step by step with the same pace regardless of whether we think it is dragging or moving way too quickly. Events happen. Milestones in life come along. And God has measured out the days and hours. Graduations, moving on to new schools, building relationships, marriage, children being born, anniversaries, retirement, grandchildren, and life goes on. King Solomon said "There is a time for every purpose under heaven", and made his list. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) But then he said something else. "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity into man's heart." (Ecclesiastes 3:11) We love the times, the experiences, the things that have to do with the days and years, the flow of the times of our lives. And we desire eternity, to have the good and beautiful things last. Even the hard times can form memories that we fondly hold on to. The first apartment, the time when money was short and we were so very careful about the budget. How many couples have I heard look back and reminisce. One of the richest men i know, one time was in a mood to remember. He sat there with his wife and talked with us about the hard times when money and food were scarce; and they talked about the old worn out furniture, the meals they shared, and the time they spent together. These are times and days we will be talking about for a long, long time. We will talk about the days at home, the events we missed, the special things we had to go through to work or to shop, the problems with money and the things we could not find in the stores. Others will talk about school being out, graduations that did not happen, and the setbacks in finding work and making their way in life. Some of us will talk about loved ones we missed, and funerals with only a few. I have seen the things that come through social media. Things like this: "Since I have been at home for the last month, the dog seems happier than he has ever been. The cat, on the other hand, looks at me like, 'How come you are still in my house? And there is a lot of "pretending to be going crazy" humor being passed around. But the days go on and it is like my mother used to say, "This too will pass." Days ahead will be different, and we will get back in the pattern of things being new and different. But we were created to desire a balance between change and things that last. It is in our nature to be in a that balance between the two. That is why King Solomon comes to his final words on wisdom how he does. In the last chapter of Ecclesiastes he says, "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth ..." (Ecclesiastes 12:1) There is an anchor in the relationship and eternity in belonging to God. Jesus renewed the call of God to know eternity, "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20) Did you catch that? Jesus used the name of God, "I Am," and made it part of the promise to be with us to the end of the age. In fact, in the word order in the Greek Jesus did something very interesting. He put the words "with you" in the middle of the words "I Am." It actually reads, "I with you Am ..." The promise "with you" is embedded within the name of God. It is who He is. He is the "with us" God. And that is exactly what we hear at the end of the Bible. The voice from the throne filled with excitement that "Now the dwelling of God is with Man." (Revelation 21:3) Lord Jesus, in the middle of things that come and go, when everything in life will pass, help me to find my anchor in You. I am created to live in the hours that are fleeting, and the days that are so full of change. I need the eternity that is in You. Help me hear Your promise of eternity so deep and lasting that You put the promise within the very name of God. And by Your promise, help me then, to live in this world of change with confidence and peace. Amen. ![]() Promises Promises provide the landmarks and guideposts for our lives. There is a reason for that. We do not live our lives unconnected from others. We live in a complex set of relationships. And promises are the key pieces, sitting at the center of those relationships. Promises to be back home. Promises to be faithful. Promises to provide for our family. Promises to set aside the little irritations and seek to see each other in the kindest way. We are able to have homes, families, marriages, and all our relationships because of promises. God gives promises. He has given those promises from the beginning, starting with the blessing, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it ..." (Genesis 1:28) Adam and Eve were called into a relationship with God and there were promises. There was also a promise God asked for when He told them not to eat of that one tree. Promises are the key pieces, sitting at the center of our relationships. Sometimes promises are broken; and then either there is forgiveness or our relationships and our lives are damaged. Jobs are lost and marriages can fall apart. Distrust comes in, and our relationships change from being a blessing to being a curse; and usually it is a curse to both of those in the relationship. What then would happen when Adam & Eve broke the promise and turned away from God. There was a curse -- ashes to ashes, dust to dust -- and death entered. But God brought a new promise. The Seed of the woman would come. He would take the curse, carry the "dust-to-dust" in His own flesh, and bring us back into the blessing. (Genesis 3:15) From that point Prophecies, Psalms & Hymns, Sacrifices in the Temple, and the drama of the history of God's people from Abraham on would all be about His coming. "The virgin will conceive ..." (Isaiah 7:14) "But you, Bethlehem, Ephratha ..." (Micah 5:2) "The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all ..." (Isaiah 53:6) "God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." (Genesis 22:8) Again, God brought a new promise. The seed of the woman -- He Himself is the promise. He gathers in His existence, in his birth, life, cross and empty tomb, all the promises there could ever be. He restores, exalts, glorifies, forgives, purifies, and transforms all who are connected to Him. Paul said, "all the promises of God find their 'Yes' in Him. That is why it is through Him that we utter our 'Amen' to God for His glory." (2 Corinthians 1:20) Promises are the key pieces, sitting at the center of our relationships. Because the promises are collected in Jesus, that changes completely the whole character of Christianity. What we have is not a traditional religion. If we did it would all be about us approaching God -- with prayer, repentance, worship and seeking His favor. What we have instead is a connection with God, built on the promises that God has made to us, brought to us, and "sealed" with the living, breathing Promise of God -- Jesus Himself. All the promises of the Bible are bound together in the living, risen-from-the-dead, Jesus. The promises are just as eternal as Jesus, and He is eternally living. He says to us, "Until heaven and earth pass away," (Matthew 5:18) and that's only the beginning. "The word of the Lord endures forever." (1 Peter 1:25) In fact we could add the word forever at the end of each of those promises. "I will never leave you nor forsake you forever!" (Hebrews 13:5) And behold I am with you to the end of the age, forever!" (Matthew 28:20) God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble, forever! (Psalm 46:1) There are times in life when we have to hold on to promises. And some of those times it is a long time of holding on to promises. As the days drag on, remember that there is one person who gives promises, and then remembers them and keeps them. It is not only for a few days. He remembers for thousands of years, stands by them century after century, and will continue on keeping promises forever. He has called you His friend. Lord Jesus, help me to hear Your promises. Help me to know that You remember. And help me to build my life around all the amazing promises I have in You. Amen. ![]() "I'm Not Very Religious, But ..." So began a brief conversation. He had been talking with my wife, and called out "Hey Reverend!" It is interesting how people all over seem to want to start a conversation and head straight to religion and matters of the soul. I remember a well known writer years ago saying it is a myth that people don't want to talk about religion. They deeply want to talk about spiritual things. Is there a God? What is the soul? Is there a heaven; life after death; judgment? That writer years ago said that when someone involved him in such a discussion, it seemed like every ear nearby was trying to listen in. Other conversations were muted. People managed to move closer. And often they joined in, fascinated and discussing for a long time. He was a Christian, highly educated and able to say what we believe in a clear and interesting way. And so we stood and talked. Not long and not in depth yet, but we talked. During his time working from and staying at home, he has been reading Marcus Aurelius and Seneca, Roman philosophers and Stoics. We did not get into what they believed. That may be next time. I may have to brush up on that. And I remember a High School teacher leading an "experimental" class on philosophy saying about Christianity, "The belief system of one third of humanity should not be rejected out of hand." It seems almost like we have wandered with Paul Into the Areopagus in Athens where the Greek philosophers met to discuss all the "new things." (Acts 17:17-21) What happened back then? Paul noticed all the altars to idols, and began to talk with others about spiritual things. He "reasoned with" them, and then the ears around him started to perk up and want to hear more. And they brought him into their discussion and asked him to tell more. This is how it happens. So often the conversation starts when we least expect it. This business of being stuck inside because of a virus is one of those times we would not expect to turn into such a time. But -- Christ Is Risen! Jesus is alive and He is doing His work of gathering people into faith and into being His people. Because Jesus is evangelizing and calling souls to faith, expect the unexpected. (I got to say that to someone this last month!) Expect the unexpected. We do not see the openings, but He does. We do not know who is suddenly open to hearing the Gospel but He does. We have an informal motto in our congregation: "We are not that good but we have a friend who is." What did Paul do back then? He began by telling them about God, who made all things, and calls us to come and seek Him. And then he told them about Jesus. He said that God will judge the world by "a man whom He has appointed, and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead." (Acts 17:31) They listened until Paul talked about the resurrection and then -- some mocked and some said Paul should come back some other time. But some believed: Dionysius and a woman name Damaris and others. Paul left with new believers in Jesus. (Acts 17:34) This is a very strange time, when there is an unexpected interest in spiritual things. It is important for us to see the doors opened in unexpected places and unexpected ways, even when it comes in words like, "I'm not very religious, but ..." We carry within us a word from God that gives life. And the world seems to be noticing right now how it is missing, and how much of a gap there is in the rest of life. Lord Jesus, make me ready. Prepare me for that unexpected time. Help me to see when my neighbor opens up to talk about spiritual things. And give me words and wisdom to tell about You in a way that will call and draw them to want to know more about the mercy, life and joy that is in You. Amen. ![]() Outside the Camp This is a surprisingly beautiful expression of God's love. But it sneaks up on you. It starts out in the Old Testament with the sacrifices that happened on the Day of Atonement. That was the day when the priest brought a sacrifice into the Holy of Holies. It was to atone for the sins of the nation. The blood was placed on the Mercy Seat. It was blood shed in the place of every Israelite, a sacrifice of an innocent in place of the guilty. By this point you should be thinking, "That is about Jesus, the innocent spotless Lamb of God offering Himself for the sins of the world." After the sprinkling of the blood the sacrifice was taken outside the camp to be burned. Because of carrying the sins, the sacrifice was not acceptable among the people of God. It was to be cast out and forsaken. The Letter to the Hebrews talks about "the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp."' (Hebrews 13:11) Outside the camp is the place of banishment and forsakenness. And then it makes this connection, "So Jesus also suffered outside the gate ..." (Hebrews 13:12) Jesus did not make His sacrifice in the temple, taking the place of being a clean and holy offering -- although He was. He was perfect in sinlesness. But He went "outside the camp" being made one with all that is unclean. It is the same astonishing theme. The Holy Son of God, stands with me, takes His place with me, identifies with me. That is why He could pray the prayer that belongs to sinners, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" "Outside the camp" -- it isn't the right place for Him, but it is the place He chose to be. I needed Him to be there, because that was where I was, "outside the camp." That's where we have all been ever since Adam and Eve had to leave the garden. But Jesus comes to us in our separation, so that He can bring us back into communion with God. We have the Son of God going all the way into the furthest darkness of our lives. He takes the guilt, the judgment and the death, receiving from us what He does not deserve. And then He gives us His innocence, His righteousness and His life. There is a hymn, "A Canaanite, She Comes to Pray". One of the verses reads: "Outside the camp, He came to win, My soul for God, And bring again, Mankind into Communion, Unraveling our twisted faith In Satan's lies; Christ's faithful death Has healed our separation." (Sung to the tune of "O Little Flock, Fear Not the Foe") Jesus brings the truth to us once again. We have a loving and merciful God, who, when we had fallen into sin, did not abandon us. He came to bring forgiveness. And He came to put the lie to everything the devil has been peddling. God does not hate us. And He does not take away the joys and blessings of life. "God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him may not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) And Jesus said, "I came that they might have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10) Jesus is the love of God revealed to us, so that we no longer fear the wrath of God. Instead we are called and warmed by His grace and mercy. We have a Savior who became the Sacrifice; and a Savior who Started our resurrection by rising from the dead Himself. Lord Jesus, You came to my darkness and brought the light of life. You came to dispel all the lies that led me astray and speak Your life-giving truth into my soul. You came to pray my sinner's prayer and give me Your prayer. You came into my separation and brought me back to God. You came to face down hell and open the gates of heaven. You came into my curse and brought the blessings again. You came to share my death and bring me into Your Easter. How can I thank You dearest Friend for all Your grace and mercy. Help me to walk in the countless blessings You give, to rejoice in them and not take them for granted. Amen. ![]() Faithfulness "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ..." (Galatians 5:22) Day after day continues, time rolls on, and for many the days drag slowly. Solomon lamented, "The sun rises, and the sun goes down .... The wind blows .... All streams run to the sea .... All things are full of weariness .... What has been is what will be ... and there is nothing new under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 1:4-9) Five weeks ago Jared texted me, "Remember, God is still in control, not the corona virus." (That's how our daily devotions started.) Faithfulness. What does it mean? Faithfulness means "day after day continuing on." Not stopped by obstacles, resistance, or problems that come along. Not distracted, or forgetting, or neglecting the promise or the goal. When the days roll on moving slowly, then faithfulness can become a challenge. When that new thing comes along "staying the course" faithfully can seem frustrating. The days go on -- and we are anxious. We want to get there. We want to get through these days that have such limitations, and get back to venturing out and enjoying life a little bit more. Faithfulness can be hard. Thirty-some years ago a friend in Guttenberg, Iowa was talking with me. He asked, "You know how to plow a straight furrow?" Then he explained, "You can't do it by looking at the field right in front of you, or by looking around. You have to get your eyes on a tree, way out there at the end of the field. You look at that tree and ignore all the other stuff. If there are stumps or rocks you go around them but then you get your eyes back on that tree." (Thank you Ed Walter for an image I have carried with ever since.) That has a lot to do with faithfulness. Our God is faithful, perfectly and completely. The reason why faithfulness is a part of the fruit of the Spirit is because faithfulness is part of the image of God that God is forming in us. God the Father will have us transformed into "the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers." (Romans 8:29) God is faithful. There is a hymn that describes God as "Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light, Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might". The title for the hymn ("Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise") comes from Paul's first letter to Timothy. "To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever." (1 Timothy 1:17) God is faithful. He ia dedicated to His promises -- never forgetting the goal of bringing us into glory. He continues on, "unresting" and "unhasting." Psalm 90 says, "a thousand years in Your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. (Psalm 90:4) Psalm 90 is marked out in the Bible as "A prayer of Moses". That's how long that verse has been part of the Word of God! God is faithful, unresting, unhasting, unceasing in His dedication to call us into His kingdom and eternal life. Peter explains the Psalm. "The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) Jesus gave His promise. After going to the cross for my forgiveness; and after rising on Easter to promise that I will rise, He gave the promise. It has to do with His faithfulness, with His patience and persistence. With unresting and unceasing attention to His promise, He will lead and guide me into eternal life so I can be with Him. So He spoke the promise: "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20) Lord Jesus, thank You for Your incredible faithfulness. I am distracted, discouraged, flighty, forgetful, wandering off, and constantly getting tangled in and tripped up by my sin. Through it all You continue persistent, unwavering, and faithful to every promise. And those promises, life, heaven and eternity; being loved by God and being with You -- those promises cost such a price for You to make them mine. Thank You my Savior. Thank You my Friend. Amen. ![]() In The Holy of Holies It is a fascinating theme that runs through the Bible; the idea of witnesses. God will have His witnesses. He will have His witnesses because the acts of God are not something to be hidden away. They are to be done right out in public. The theme is built into the Old Testament temple, where the ark of the covenant is placed between 2 Cherubim, one on each side. When God appeared to Abraham he was accompanied by 2 angels. When Jesus was transfigured on the Mount of Transfiguration there were 2 witnesses, Moses and Elijah, who appeared with Him. When Jesus stood trial, His accusers were unable to get 2 witnesses to testify because their testimony did not agree. But when Jesus was crucified there were the 2 witnesses, one on the right and one on the left. Those were the thieves, one of whom repented. God will have His witnesses. Even more remarkable are the 2 witnesses in the tomb on Easter morning. John tells us that Mary Magdalene "stooped down to look into the tomb." Just like in the temple, there were 2 angels. They were "sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and one at the feet." (John 20:12) God will have His witnesses! This is a remarkable picture! In the Old Testament the Ark of the Covenant held the 10 Commandments, the Law of God convicting all sin. But that Law of God was covered over by the Cover of the Ark. The Cover became known as the Mercy Seat. Notice: 2 witnesses to the great acts of God, but this time the 2 witnesses are the Law of God and the Mercy of God. The Mercy Seat was where the blood of the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement was sprinkled. That Day of Atonement Sacrifice was a picture of the sprinkled blood of Jesus, the One Great Sacrifice, as His blood covers our sins. Furthermore: You might remember how the curtain in the Temple was torn in two at the death of Jesus. (Matthew 27:50-51)That was because the Mercy of God was coming into our world, bursting through all the separation built up between God and man. The Mercy Seat would be among us. That Mercy Seat would be seen first by Mary Magdalene. When she stooped down to look into the tomb she saw fulfilled what the layout and arrangement in the Holy of Holies was pointing to. There in the tomb on Easter morning was the blood of the covenant, the blood of Jesus covering over the sin, death and judgment that the Law of God would pour out on us. And there were the 2 angels, one on each side, being the witnesses to the mercy of God. By the way, another name for the Ark of the Covenant was "The Testimony." In the Old Testament it was the testimony about God's mighty acts, not only delivering His people through the Red Sea but God's own Testimony about all that He had done from the beginning of the world to bless us. If Jesus is placed between the 2 angels the He Himself becomes the Testimony, the witness by God Himself about all the merciful and saving acts of God. But there is a wonderful and amazing difference. The Ark of the Covenant did not get up and move itself. And the Cover, the Mercy Seat was stationary. But what happened on Easter morning with our Mercy Seat? He, Jesus, the Living Mercy Seat, rose from the dead and left the tomb to go and appear to Mary Magdalene, to walk with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, to appear to the disciples in the Upper Room, to show them His hands and His side and to give them His peace. He is still on the move, because He is a light to the nations, so that as His Father said, "that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth." (Isaiah 49:6) Lord Jesus, You are my Mercy Seat. You are the only place where I can find forgiveness, atonement, and the mercy of God. It is by Your cross and by Your blood that I have a place with God and belong. As Thomas said, "My Lord and my God!" Thank You. Let me walk with You. And let me hear Your invitation to come close and be with God in the Holy of Holies. Let me rejoice to hear Your word and be Your disciple. Amen. ![]() The Upward Call There comes a time to leave some things behind. Paul says this in his great chapter on love. "When I was a child I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways." (1 Corinthians 13:11) This does not mean putting things away and doing with less. It means moving on to something more, something greater. When the greater is there and can be had, why stay with the lesser. It's like a man who could have the car of his dreams, or he could have a matchbox model of that car. Does he choose the matchbox? Again, if he has had the matchbox model and then he wins that car in a contest, but the price is turning in the matchbox, does he refuse? So God gives us an upward call. There is more. It is greater and more wonderful. And we are invited. The entire New Testament, from the last chapters of the Gospels, on through the book of Acts, the letters of Paul, James, Peter, John, Jude and on to the book of Revelation -- all of it is written within the reality of Easter. This life is not the end. This world is not all there is. And this body is not all that we are. When Jesus rose from the dead, He at first confused and then reoriented the disciples. He pushed them into a different reality. They were living the entire rest of this life in the presence of the living, risen-from-the-dead God and Savior. God was their friend who was inviting them to be with Him forever. I like the image of "running with Jesus through endless years." It's an upward call. There are things to leave behind. But when Jesus says "Come, follow Me ..." and then He takes off running along with blessings and eternal life, who doesn't want to go along. Paul says, "forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14) It's an upward call. There are things to leave behind. Death, alienation from God, conflict within, sin and its guilt (Jesus will bring us there), and a whole bunch more. Paul says, "I count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him ... that i may know Him and the power of His resurrection, ..." (Philippians 3:8-10) There are promises that come with the "upward call." Jesus promises blessings (Matthew 5:3-12) John tells us "when He appears we shall be like Him ..." (1 John 3:2) God will celebrate that "Behold, the dwelling of God is with man. he will dwell with them, and they will be His people, ..." (Revelation 21:3-4) The Bible says that on Judgment Day Jesus "will exult over you with loud singing." (Zephaniah 3:17) And Psalm 16 finishes with "you make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Psalm 16:11) Lord Jesus, Help me to remember the greatness of the promises I have in You, so I will press on knowing that there are blessings ahead, and that following You is not giving up joys and settling for less, but setting aside what is less as You give the greatest and best of all blessings and joys. Help me to live that others may see the joy that comes from walking with You and knowing the power of Your resurrection. Amen. ![]() How Does Jesus Look at Us? It's a good question to ask. What is our relationship from Jesus' perspective? A lot of people outside the Church might figure it is a matter of us needing to be obedient followers, His people, servants of an almighty God. Even within the Church many Christians simply live with the ideas of obedience, repentance, service, worship and more obedience. So it is tremendously when we have words and language from Jesus that points to different and much fuller ideas. There are a few wonderful ones. It was Thursday of Holy Week, getting ready to go to the Garden and be arrested, and Jesus was talking with His disciples. He said, "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." (John 15:15) Friends spend time together, and it is not because they have to. They enjoy each other's company. Jesus came to call and to make us His friends. When He was praying before being arrested, He said, "Father, I want them (those You have given Me) to be with Me ..." (John 17:24) What was it like to be with Jesus, in between the miracles and healings? We know that crowds gathered around, and that children were drawn to Jesus. Peter got to walk on water. Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding at Cana. And he described the Father's house using the words "music and dancing". There is another phrase from Jesus -- "My brothers". On the first Easter Jesus told Mary Magdalene to "go to My brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father ..." (John 20:17) But that was not the first time the language and idea "My brothers" had come around. The most vivid actually is connected with the cross, woven into the 4th word. You might remember, the 4th word is the beginning of Psalm 22, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" In a previous devotion I shared about the later verses from the Psalm, Jesus believing the promises and looking forward to the victory. Verse 22 says, "In the midst of the congregation I will praise You." But notice how Psalm 22:22 starts out! "I will tell of Your name to My brothers." There it is! Right in the middle of the hours on the cross Jesus was thinking about us as "My brothers." It isn't language of "lording it over" others. It's family language, where at least in one way Jesus sees Himself as one of us and sees us as a huge family of brothers. Could it be that God the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, has so far stooped down that He in certain ways walks among us as just one of us? There are other places where the Bible says this. "Therefore He had to be made like His brothers in every respect." (Hebrews 2:17) "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14) "When the fullness of time had come God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." (Galatians 4:4-5) And Romans 8 talks about God the Father intending that we should be "conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn of many brothers." (Romans 8:29) There is a question we sometimes ask and answer in Church. Is Jesus the one we worship, or the one who leads our worship? The answer is "Yes! Because He is both! He is both God and man, our God and Savior, and one of us." What will it be like to have eternity to be with "God-who-is-one-of-us"? With Jesus who is truly our brother and our friend? Good and sweet. It will be even better than walking with Him all over the holy land and even (cough, Peter, cough) on the sea of Galilee. Lord Jesus, thank You for calling me your friend and brother, and for Your wonderful desire to have me be with You in Your kingdom, doing all the cool things that happen when God is my BFF, and having all of that actually and really be forever. Thank You for paying the price to make that happen. Amen. ![]() Hiding Inside & Venturing Out Do you realize that we are (in a small way) acting out the first Easter? There were the Disciples hiding inside, and there's us stuck inside. They had some serious things to be afraid of. It wasn't a virus, or any other kind of disease. It was the authorities. If they were caught outside would they be arrested? Would the authorities try a mop up action to eradicate the followers of Jesus? Would they be put in prison or maybe even put to death? It was a big step to even think about going out. The first ones were the women, heading to the tomb to care for the body of Jesus. They were more likely to be ignored by the authorities, and so they went; and arrived at the tomb; and met the angel; and heard the message that, "He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise." (Luke 24:6-7) They came back telling the message, but to the disciples "these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them." (Luke 24:11) The next one to venture out was Peter who went to the tomb, saw the linen cloths and "went home marveling". (Luke 24:12) Fear is a powerful motivator. It kept the disciples inside, behind closed doors. They did not let go of it very easily. The next we hear about venturing out were two who decided later in the day to leave Jerusalem. It probably seemed like a good idea -- get away from the dangers in Jerusalem. And so they were walking to Emmaus (about 7 miles away). They could get there shortly before dark, and shelter in place until they could figure out what to do next. As they went, Jesus came up and wanted to walk with them. (Luke 24:15) He told them the whole meaning of what had happened (while keeping them from recognizing Him). They needed the message. They needed to know why, and what it was all for. It had all been told by the prophets. He asked them, "Was it not necessary" for the Christ to "suffer these things and enter into His glory?" (Luke 24:26) And He interpreted the Scriptures and explained the plan of salvation. In this way Jesus lifted the fear and sadness off of them. And then He revealed Himself as He broke bread. Hiding inside or venturing out? They raced back to Jerusalem. Who cares about authorities, arrest, prison, or anything else when you have seen the risen Lord. The authorities couldn't hold Him. Neither could the cross or the tomb. Death itself was powerless against Jesus. So they came back to the disciples who were still hiding inside. They shared the news, what happened along the road, and in the house in Emmaus. And then Jesus came to those "hiding-inside" disciples. It was time to lift their fear off of them -- and then they could venture outside. Jesus came to them behind closed, locked doors. But they were frightened and thought He must be a ghost. (Luke 24:37) He showed them His hands and His side and He invited them to touch Him. But they still "disbelieved for joy". (Luke 24:41) Finally -- it was eating a piece of fish (broiled fish, to be precise) that dispelled the doubts and opened up the joy for them. (Luke 24:42-43) Sometimes it is the right thing to shelter inside. We wait for the good news. We miss the freedom and long for the worries to be lifted. And when it happens it will feel so good. In a small way we are experiencing the pattern of confinement and worry; one day to be followed by freedom and joy. That first Easter was filled with tremendously powerful fear and worry -- followed by a joy and freedom that is absolutely immeasurable. It is a freedom and joy that has spanned almost 2,000 years. And it is a freedom and joy that will span all the years of eternity. Lord Jesus, You lifted the fear and worry from the first disciples. You filled them with a joy that is beyond understanding, as You set them free from sin and death. Lord Jesus, help me to know the freedom I have in You so I can celebrate the joy of Easter every day through all time and eternity. Help me to have that joy through this day, and know that I too walk with the risen, living and victorious Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. |
Rev. Mark WilligPastor Willig is pastor emeritus of Friends in Christ Lutheran Church. Archives
December 2023
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