FreeTruth

Today marks the conclusion of our 2010 Lent series, Path to Glory. We hope you've enjoyed the experience as we have reflected on our Lord's journey through humiliation into glory. Before we conclude with one final reading, I want to mention a couple of things:
1. Thanks to all who've contributed to this series. It wouldn't have happened without you!
2. Tomorrow, I plan to start a several part series tentatively entitled: Christian Grace in Political-Cultural Crisis. Based on Psalm 37 this series will present a better response to our current poltical-moral-social crises than that which I perceive in many believers today. I hope it helps.
3. But before that, one last Lent post, this one from Ernie Kerwin, calling us to know and love the risen and ascended Lord. Enjoy.


After His resurrection, Jesus had some priority reminders for his disciples. Shortly he would be ascending to his Father, so he wanted to make the best use of his time with them.

The women at the tomb were given a reminder, from angels, of something Jesus had said to them,

"'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.' And they remembered his words."

The two on the road to Emmaus were reminded, by Jesus, from the words of the prophets,

"'O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?' And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself."

Then he paid a surprise visit to His disciples. He reminded them,

"'These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.' Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures" (Luke 23:44, 45).

Later on in the chapter He reminds them of the promise of the Father, power from on high. My focus, for this time, specifically is Luke 24:44, 45.

Here are a few questions for you, how well do you know Jesus? Would you like to know him better? Are you wondering how you can know him better?

Paraphrasing Jesus' words the answer would be "everything you want to know about me you will find in the Scriptures". Jesus once said, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me."

So, how can we get to know him better? READ THE SCRIPTURES! Intimacy with someone you love can only truly happen as you get to know that someone on an ever deepening level. How deep do you want your love to be?

Are you having trouble understanding what you are reading? You're in good company, the disciples were obviously having trouble but Jesus "opened their minds to understand the Scriptures." He will do the same for you just ask "that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding" (Colossians 1:9b).

One last item, the things written about him "must be fulfilled". This is important because in the priority reminders of Chapter 24 it is the Gospel, which is of first importance that is proclaimed.

As you read your Bible look for Jesus. Look for the Gospel. The Gospel is not just confined to the New Testament. Dive in deep, drink deep; eat the rich Word of God.

by Ernie Kerwin

Labels: Guest Post, Lent, Spiritual disciplines

As those who have been committed to the Christian faith know very well, without the resurrection of Christ, our faith is in vain and we are pitiful. So, the Apostle Paul takes the occasion (I Corinthians 15:4-11) to mention to us that the risen Christ was not only seen by the disciples and a few others, but that "he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time" (I Cor. 15:6).

It should be readily apparent why this fact was so important that Paul felt the need to mention it: there was a bombing on the Moscow metro system recently and the mounted cameras in the train stations captured some of the trembling and the destruction in the aftermath. At the time of our Lord's resurrection, there were no cameras, and no newspapers. Unless one physically was present, word of mouth was all that was left, so the fact that many of those five hundred brothers were still alive (not counting women and children) was important to the testimony of His victory over the grave.

Any of the Corinthians could go to one of those witnesses and receive a first-hand account of the events of that day. Surely those who saw Him after the resurrection all knew about His death, so how overwhelming it must have been to actually see Him in the flesh!

As theologians tell us today, it would have been easy to corroborate if there had been deception in this event, because so many were still alive who had seen Him. Certainly if it weren’t true, at least one of those five hundred brothers would have broken rank and stated that in fact, His resurrection appearance was a lie or a deception.

During His life, logically, one might conclude that if anyone saw Christ and the miracles that He did, then one would be led to the conclusion that this was indeed a man who possessed deity, and there is considerable evidence for the risen Christ, so why don’t more believe?

I think we have the answer to that in verse 10 of this passage when Paul says "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain." People don’t believe anything they don't want to believe, because they are blinded by their sin, as Paul was before he believed (and even persecuted the church).

The evidence of the bodily resurrection of Christ, though essentially important to historical Christianity, will not convince people to believe the claims of the living Christ. Thank God that we have the witness of the Apostle Paul to the fact of His resurrection; Paul was the last one to see Him on the road to Damascus. However, let's not forget that it is by grace alone that we have been saved as God opens our eyes to the truth of His word. All manner of historical evidences mean nothing if one either refuses to see or simply doesn't care.

by Rich Cromwell

Labels: Apologetics, Lent, resurrection of Christ. Guest Post

Trust but verify.

There's something of a natural born skeptic in each of us. We hate to be taken, to be gullible, or naive. We distrust.

Those few men and women who gathered after Christ's death to mourn and wait, as he had instructed, had seen a litany of miracles performed by their Master. They'd even seen the dead brought to life. But certainly the miracles of a dead miracle worker die with him. Death is the end when it's the Wonder Maker who dies.

In a time of worry and pain, surely these men and women were aware that they could be deceived. There were men ready to confuse, take advantage, and silence them. Sure, Jesus had appeared to some of them and at least for that moment they had been convinced. But each minute he was not with them must have brought renewed doubts.

Jesus knew that they were human. And he knew that dead people, generally speaking, don't reappear. If they do, it's not likely that it will be an all-together positive experience for those who witness it.

So, to calm their worries, he let them verify.

Their Master had been a man. He was still a man. Their Master's flesh had been torn. His still bore the scars. Their Master's bones had been disjointed, but not broken. He was standing on strong legs. Their Master's hands and feet had been pierced. He showed them his feet and hands. Their Master had said "I thirst." He asked for food and ate in front of them.

Jesus, the God-man was a man, and he still is. His humanity continues even as he has been glorified.

How kind of him to calm the fears of his followers. How kind of him to prove to them and to us that he is real.

As a man for thirty-three years, he learned by battling against them, what our weaknesses are. And so, he kindly met those men and women and us in that weakness and made us strong.

He called them to trust and yet he let them verify.

How good.

by Tim W. Shorey

Labels: Guest Post, Lent

The resurrection of Christ is not a mere claim made by Christians to bolster faith. It is a claim rooted in history. We say not only, "He is risen" but "He is risen indeed;" in actual fact and truth (Luke 24:34).

Luke 24:13-35 presents some of the many compelling proofs of the resurrection:

1. He walked with many and talked with them after his death (Luke 24:13-35).
2. He let them touch His actual body (Luke 24:38, 39).
3. He ate meals with them (Luke 24:40-43).
4. He reminded them that His resurrection and glory had been foretold in prophecies (Luke 24:44-49).

If interested in finding out more of the proofs read books like: The Case for Christ, by Lee Strobel, or Evidence that Demands a Verdict, by Josh Mcdowell.

What matters my friends is that you know beyond all doubt that Jesus is risen indeed. Mere wishing or hoping Him alive does not mean He is. Does the evidence prove it? Does the evidence give you reason to believe, reason sufficient to support making a decision to follow Him with all your heart for all of life?

Many who profess to be Christians fail to live lives that evidence that they really believe that Jesus is alive. If he's alive, then He is Lord, and everything about us should be convincing testimony that we know it.

You must know that He lives. Then you must live a life that proves that you know it.
Another way of getting at that is this: Would people looking at the character and priorities of your life be convinced that you really believe that Jesus is alive? Something to think about as we echo the words: "He is risen indeed."

Labels: christian life, Lent, resurrection of Christ. Guest Post

For centuries believers have greeted each other on Resurrection Day mornings with this exchange: "He is risen...He is risen indeed!" Amen.

I think I'd rank Luke 24:6 as one of the top five most important sentences of all time. My nominations for the top five would include:

1. Genesis 1:1--"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
2. Luke 2:11--"For unto you is born this day...a Savior who is Christ the Lord."
3. John 19:30--"It is finished."
4. Luke 24:6--"He is risen."
5. Rev. 11:15--"The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever."

Take away statement one and there is no meaning to life.

Take away statement two and there is no hope for sinners.

Take away statement three and there is no atonement paid for sin delivering from God's wrath.

Take away statement four and there is no divine vindication of Christ or victory over death.

Take away statement five and there is no hope for the eternal future.

That about covers it. Quite possibly the five most important statements in history, and they give us the sweep of history at its core: God made all, redeems all His own, conquers death and hell in Christ, and subdues all the kingdoms of men and demons under His own.

He is risen and He reigns indeed. He is Lord of history.

Hallelujah!

Labels: Lent

Today's meditation focuses on the last of Jesus' seven sayings on the cross, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit". Like the first six sayings, this one too fulfilled the Scriptures, being a direct quote from Psalm 31:5.

This verse begins by telling us that Jesus spoke these words "calling out with a loud voice". This was no private moment between Father and Son. This was meant for all to hear. A.W. Pink comments that it was loud so "that all might hear, and that his enemies who judged him destitute and forsaken of God might know it was not so any longer".

This saying represents a transition, a contrast if you may. The Son is back in communion with the Father again after a time of being forsaken. He is no longer in the hands of men, a description of his present state used by the gospel writers. He had voluntarily delivered himself into the hands of sinners so they might crucify him to fulfill the Scriptures. He is in their hands no longer! He now delivers his spirit back into the hands of his loving Father.

This verse also speaks volumes concerning the uniqueness of Christ's death. He had boldly proclaimed that no one takes his life from him, but that he lays it down of his own accord. The Greek words used to describe what Christ did in this verse back up his assertion.

The gospel writers use words that can be translated "he dismissed his spirit", "he delivered up his spirit", and "he breathed out his spirit". All of these put Christ totally in control. At his seemingly weakest earthly moment, Jesus is still in control of his fate.

He died like the Prince of Life, choosing to dismiss his spirit like I dismiss my math class when our class period is over. He delivered his spirit to the Father after using it to complete the work the Father had given him to do. It truly was finished, his atoning work, so now he breathes out his spirit in one last sovereign act as the man Christ Jesus.

So ends our Lord's unique earthly life, one in which he lived sinless at every moment so that we might clothe ourselves in his righteousness. So ends our Lord's unique death experience, an experience which guarantees that when we come to the end of our lives, we too may commend our spirits to our Father, the loving Father of our wonderful Savior Jesus Christ.

by Scott Stengele

Labels: Guest Post, Lent

Of the seven sayings of our Lord on the cross, "It is finished" is perhaps one of the pithiest sayings of all time.

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ has been viewed by all sorts, from a number of different perspectives. There were the anti-Semites who liked to blame his death on the Jews. In the early years of the 20th century, we had the liberal Protestants, who liked to see it as a noble but unfortunate event, for in their mind, this was the end of a great man called Jesus of Nazareth.

We have the modern day Arians, who deny the Deity of Christ, and view the cross as an example of personal sacrifice and nothing more (Jehovah's Witnesses). Then there were the Pharisees of the 1st century who viewed his death and said in their hearts,"good riddance".

Every Good Friday, we are reminded of this event. We do well to consider what our Lord had in mind when he uttered these words. The Scriptures clearly state that the wages of sin is death, the soul that sins shall surely die. Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. Anyone who has read his Bible would know that this (death on a tree) was the death of a sinner.

Jesus spoke these words after 3 hours of darkness and just prior to his "committing his spirit into his Father's hands". What really went on for those 3 hours in the dark? What was finished? Who was Jesus speaking to? What did he mean by this?

As the sin bearer of the people whom the Father had given to him, He took their judgment upon himself. Here is exactly what was finished: a life of perfect obedience to the Law of God and the will of his Father, the redemption or purchase of his people, the propitiation or turning away of God's wrath toward his people, the reconciliation of a broken relationship between God and his people, the guarantee of a complete salvation of his people, from regeneration to glory and everything in between.

The words "it is finished" were not the words of an unfortunate victim. These were not the words of some poor man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is not the language of an exhausted, defeated man who made an attempt to be a good example to his followers.

This was a cry of victory. These are the words of triumph, the expression of one who has victoriously completed his reason for coming to earth.

Moreover, these were not the words of a frustrated man to his onlookers. These words of victory were addressed to his Father. These are the words of a man in complete control of his life, and in complete control of his death. "No man takes my life, I lay it down of my own accord."

These words were not an exclamation of self pity, but were God centered. He came to do the Father's will, and it is now finished. But, it is not finished for everyone, only for those who receive Him by faith. As one human to another, I ask you: is it finished for you? Have you rested by faith on what Christ has accomplished for sinners?

by John Roberts

Labels: Guest Post, Lent

God, forsaken by God. How can this be?

It is popular today to wink at sin, to look the other way. After all, we're only human. God will judge us on a "curve", like in school when everyone does poorly on a test. No matter how bad the outcome, surely I'm better than the next guy.

After all, no one wants to hear about an intolerant God. The soul that sins, it shall surely die? You must be kidding. How can you sell that religion on Madison Avenue? These are modern times, we need a modern god. We need to invent a more palatable god, one who is easy going. After all, Jesus loves everyone doesn't he? He won’t send anyone to hell.

But we need to look at God's holy reaction to sin in our substitute. There was no winking, no looking away. He poured out every last drop of wrath that our sin deserved. He forsook his own Son whom he loved. For sinners to ever have hope of peace with God, a price had to be paid. God had to forsake His son. In light of this, what will he do with them who are not found in Christ on the last day?

Hear the words of Thomas Kelly from over 200 years ago:

"Stricken, smitten, and afflicted, See him dying on the tree!
'Tis the Christ by man rejected; Yes, my soul, 'tis he, 'tis he.
'Tis the long-expected Prophet, David's Son, yet David's Lord;
By his Son God now has spoken: 'Tis the true and faithful Word.

"Tell me, ye who hear him groaning, was there ever grief like his?
Friends through fear his cause disowning, foes insulting his distress;
Many hands were raised to wound him, none would interpose to save;
But the deepest stroke that pierced him was the stroke that Justice gave.

"Ye who think of sin but lightly nor suppose the evil great
Here may view its nature rightly, here its guilt may estimate.
Mark the Sacrifice appointed, see who bears the awful load;
'Tis the Word, the Lord's Anointed, Son of Man and Son of God.

"Here we have a firm foundation, here the refuge of the lost;
Christ's the Rock of our salvation, His the name of which we boast.
Lamb of God, for sinners wounded, sacrifice to cancel guilt!
None shall ever be confounded who on him their hope have built."

by John Roberts

Labels: Guest Post, Lent

Of the seven sayings of Jesus on the cross, many have viewed this as the least of them. When one takes a closer look, just the opposite is true.

The crucifixion of our Lord, was not the agony and death of a mere man, it was a supernatural event. Our Saviors "thirst" was much more than physical. Three things point to this.

Firstly: this is the only utterance on the cross that references Christ's physical suffering or discomfort. The physical suffering was not the major way in which he suffered. We tend to focus on the physical.

Suffering the divine wrath of God was the real issue. As men, we can never really comprehend this concept of the wrath of God, let alone it's outpouring on God's son, our Lord. This shows us something of the dignity and composure of our Lord, even on the cross. His only personal reference was, "I thirst".

Secondly: this was more than a natural thirst. You remember that there were 3 hours of daylight suffering followed by 3 hours of darkness. Many looked on at his physical sufferings and were moved by them. It's during the 3 hours of darkness that our Lord absorbs the full wrath of God for our sins.

Now he is not suffering at the hand of men, but at the hand of his Father. God rightly hid this from the face of men. They would not have been able to bear it. Here, in the darkness, was this amazing display, not apprehendable to man. Here in the darkness was God's righteousness, his hatred of sin, his holiness, poured out in wrath upon our substitute. Here was laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.

How did all this make him thirsty? Matthew 27:48 reveals that after 3 hours of darkness, He cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me." It was at this time, after he had suffered the wrath of God, Matthew notes that someone put vinegar on a sponge and put it on a reed to give it to Christ to drink.

It was after suffering the wrath of the Father, the withdrawing of his "presence", that he says, "I thirst". John leaves this detail out of his account. His thirst was the agony of soul in the midst of God’s wrath. He may have had a physical thirst, but this was his real thirst: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for God". "As the hart pants for the water brook, so my soul pants after You… my heart and my flesh cry out for you." His thirst was his suffering the withdrawal of his Father's felt presence.

Lastly, it was the fulfillment of prophecy. Here, in the midst of abandonment and unimaginable wrath, our Lord is careful to obey the will of His Father. This shows us that he was not simply asking for a drink, but in doing so, was zealous to do the Father's good pleasure. It was in order that the scripture might be fulfilled. He was completely conscious and rational and was still thinking about his Father's will.

Here was no victim; he died a conqueror, a finisher, a completer. Your salvation and mine is a perfect work in Christ Jesus. Do you thirst? Come to Him and receive him, He will receive you, if you truly thirst.

by John Roberts

Labels: Guest Post, Lent

"Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." As I reflected on this statement of Christ, I would like to share with you three truths concerning it: the 'promise', the 'proclamation' and the 'price' of Paradise!

First of all there is the promise itself. What makes the promise of Paradise so amazing? Well a number of things. To begin with, Paradise (fellowship with God as was experienced in the Garden of Eden) was lost through sin. As we conclude Genesis chapter 3, the immediate dilemma and question we are left asking is this, "Will sinful man ever get back to Paradise?" What we discover very quickly in the biblical storyline is that if sinners are ever to get back to Paradise then it is going to take a most miraculous work of God to do it!

So consider what a staggering promise this is! Intimate, unbroken and perfect communion with God is finally going to be realized! The great U-Turn in redemptive history is taking place! Christ is promising and accomplishing the way back to Eden!

Secondly, I want us to observe the particular state Jesus was in when He proclaimed this promise. Did you notice that Jesus is in the midst of the most intense suffering and agony anyone could endure, and yet, He is still ministering to others! An arrogant and belligerent thief who was once mocking Him (Matt. 27:44) is now seeking mercy from Him! So what did He do? Did He scorn or despise the request? Was Jesus so consumed with His own trials that He chose to disengage from caring? NO! He proclaimed Paradise…while in pain!

What an example we have before us! I know that I want to be ministered to when I am in pain. I tend to shut down from serving others in my sufferings. But Christ pours Himself out all the more through His sufferings! Although Christ was pinned to the tree and for all intents and purposes 'paralyzed', His heart and passion to keep giving was not paralyzed!

Finally, and most importantly, let's consider the price He paid to obtain Paradise. Jesus paved the pathway to Paradise through physical and soul shattering pain! Make no mistake about it. The only road that leads sinners to Paradise is the Via Dolorosa of the One who knows no sin! The Christ was thoroughly and completely crushed. He was vexed and consumed in every way by divine wrath! Paradise with God was purchased through Christ's misery under the righteous indignation of God! The price paid to get back into Paradise is incalculable and unfathomable to the human mind.

As we celebrate this Easter season let us remember that amidst all our trials, sins and pains there is a place called Paradise awaiting us! Jesus Christ (our sin bearing substitute) promised it, proclaimed it and purchased it with His own blood!

by Steve Cassarino

Labels: Guest Post, Lent

I have long found this saying of Christ from the cross both tender and profound in its intent. Two great realities are captured in our Lord's words to his mom and to John.

First, His words exemplify tender love. Here is a son in the midst of woes and sorrows beyond expression. He is surely at a moment in which it might be understandable for him to be a bit self-focused and self-attentive. But he is not. In this moment of profound pain and suffering, Jesus is still concerned about others; in this case his mom.

She was about to be both a grieving widow (Joseph appears to have died much earlier) and a bereaved mom. Who would take care of her? Who would be her caring son (remember, to this point Jesus' brothers did not believe, leaving Mary desperately alone and in need of immediate care). Who better to care for her than John, the Lord's best friend? So Jesus provides a model here of tender care and devoted sonship.

Second, His words ensure our salvation. This one may surprise you. How do Jesus' words ensure our salvation? In this way. By making sure to care and provide for His mom at his death, Jesus was keeping the fifth commandment--to honor father and mother. This was not just a tender act of love, it was an obedient act to God.

And that matters. It matters because the sacrifice for our sins had to be perfectly obedient to God in every way. He could not leave any command imperfectly obeyed for he had to be a Lamb without moral spot or blemish. Had Jesus failed to provide for his mother and honor her even in his death, he would have failed to be perfectlty conformed to the Law of God, and therefore would have been disqualified to be a perfect sacrifice for our sins!

Yes--our salvation depended on these words and the perfect love and honor for parents that they express. Are you not glad he did this? If he hadn't, his death would have been in vain, and we'd be without a Savior still.

Thank you Jesus for loving and honoring your parents right up to the end. Because you did, I have both an example to follow and a Savior to trust. Amen.

Labels: Gospel, Guest Post, Lent, The Work of Christ

Picture the scene on Golgotha (The Skull) that day. Placed on a cross between two thieves, Jesus hung there, his body broken and bleeding. Blood flowed from his head, his side, his hands, and his feet. Roman soldiers beat him and mocked him and in his thirst when he asked for a drink, they gave him sour vinegar and then cast lots for his clothing.

Now amid this atmosphere of contempt and distrust, Jesus offered a prayer. While hanging between heaven and earth and between two thieves, Jesus called on his Father. While on the cross in excruciating pain, nails in his hands, crown of thorns on his head, the sun beating on his bruised face, exposed to the world, a spectacle stripped of all dignity, bloodied sweat mixed with saliva flowing down his hair and face, lacerations on his back, there, the rejected One (Jesus) called for God's forgiveness... not for himself, but for those who placed him there. What?

From the cross, Jesus asked for grace for those who crucified him, for those who spit on Him, beat Him with sticks, crowned him with thorns that pierced his brow. Jesus prayed for those who betrayed, denied, and deserted Him.

He pleaded for God to forgive those who taunted Him with insults, who loved their tradition and legalism more than they loved God, whose righteous indignation and religious zeal were more important than a relationship with the divine.

Jesus requested mercy for those who had waved palm branches and shouted "Hosanna, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord," on the previous Sunday as he entered the capital city of Jerusalem but then on Friday, they were shouting: "Crucify him! Crucify Him!"

"Father, forgive them for they know not what they do," is also a statement on our behalf. We muddle through our days sometimes not knowing the hurt we bring to the Kingdom of God by our actions and speech. Our egocentric attitudes look for ways to please ourselves rather than reaching out to others. Our inward focus forgets that people are watching us, hoping that as Christians we will show them a different way. How often, even today, does Jesus say about us, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do?"

In like manner we are to forgive others, whether we deem them worthy or not, even when they are unaware of what they are doing. Our response should exhibit the love of God as demonstrated on the cross. Even when the unthinkable has happened, we are to forgive. That is the action of Jesus while hanging on the cross. His taunters and detractors certainly did not deserve forgiveness, and neither do we.

My sins and your sins were nailed to the cross on that dark day when Jesus was crucified. And because we have believed in him we are a forgiven and redeemed people!

by Sesky Paul

Labels: Guest Post, Lent

"Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him."

Injustice!

Corrupt officials, false accusations, torture, illegal sentencing...Jesus' trial had it all.

One reads the account of the mockings, the tortuous beatings, and the brutal treatment of the sinless Son of God and a sense of outrage surfaces.

It's easy to feel superior to the 'ancient' Romans. You know, those primitive, less-advanced, uncivilized people of the ancient world...

But upon studying Roman law, you find that there was nothing uncivilized or uncouth about these people; rather, they were very advanced with an extremely sophisticated legal system (by the way, did you know that Scottish law is based on Roman law and is still upheld to the present day?)

So what happened to justice? Why was Jesus, after being declared innocent by Pontius Pilate, handed over to the entire Praetorium guard to be beaten almost to death and cruelly mocked and belittled, ultimately to be crucified?

Christians look to Scripture passages such as Isaiah 53, Galatians 3, and Acts 13(among many others) to understand why Jesus came to die. We understand the big picture, but sometimes it is difficult to understand why real historical figures did what they did--what was going through their minds?

Pilate watched out for his own interest. The Praetorium guard committed exceedingly wicked deeds without fear of judgment. And the crowd rejected God in the name of God (the ultimate irony!). Is this not exemplary of every society since the beginning? When confronted with God, human nature (since the Fall) rebels.

It avails us nothing to be affected by the ill-treatment of Christ or to condemn the people involved if we see not ourselves fashioning that thorny crown and laying the fiercest blows upon the Savior's cheek!

What our Savior endured for sinners!!!!!!!!!!

May we never ever cease to be humbled and amazed at the boundless love of Christ.

by Robin Lawrence

Labels: Guest Post, Lent

These four simple terrible words from Matthew 27:23 express the undiluted horrific sinfulness of blind human nature.

This crowd in Matthew 27:15-23 had seen the glory of God in the face of Christ, and they wanted Him dead. Friends, they wanted God dead!

For thirty years God, made Man, walked this planet; a real living breathing flesh and blood Person. One would think that humans would only have worshiped, adored, loved. But the very opposite happened. They despised, rejected, scorned, blasphemed, lynched.

Here is a wake up call for all humans. This is how bad we all really are apart from eye and heart-opening grace. Do not think the crowd of Matthew 27 especially evil. Think of them as a mirror; for they are you, and you, them. Humans--all humans--apart from God's regenerating, heart transforming grace, will despise God and want him dead.

Unless God gives us a new heart that loves what is All-good and All-holy (i.e.-God), we will cry out in utter hatred and panic: "Let him be crucified!"

The reason people wanted Jesus dead then is the same reason they ignore, despise, and want Him killed today. Guilty humans (such as we all are) find God intolerably holy, terrifyingly all-knowing, inescapably invasive.

Humans cannot handle the presence of such a God, so they try to kill Him. He invades their space, threatens their autonomy, cramps their style, knows their secrets, demands their supreme allegiance.

This humans will not have. So the God-lynching continues today.

A key indicator of whether one is born again of God as a new creature in Christ is whether one runs to such a God or runs away. Do you love and want to draw near to the all-holy, all-knowing, everywhere-present Christ, or do you shrink back and even wish Him gone?

Would you stand up in the crowd of Matthew 27 and agree with the mob, or would you cry out against their God-lynching hatred, saying: "Let Him live--and may He live in me?"

Would Pilate's mob have had a dissenting voice?

Labels: depravity of man, Doctrine of Sin, Lent

I greatly admire Michael Card as a writer, teacher, and musician. Therefore it's probably not unusual that my mind should immediately be driven to the lyrics in his song, "Why", in considering the manner in which our Lord was betrayed:

"Why did it have to be a friend who chose to betray the Lord?
and why did he use a kiss to show them, that's not what a kiss is for?
Only a friend can betray a friend, a stranger has nothing to gain.
and only a friend comes close enough to ever cause so much pain."

Luke 22:47 & 48 records that Judas led the arresting party to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and then, in a previously devised plan, gave him a kiss. Oh how bitter that kiss must have been when Jesus received it. It was a custom for one to greet a teacher with a kiss, but this was very different. Here was one of the twelve, who had seen the Lord through the years of His ministry, and had shared in the revelation of His Deity as well as the mundane and ordinary activities of His life, turning Him over to the mob.

We've all been "betrayed" by someone close to us at some point in our lives. We all know the gut-wrenching feeling that our stomachs experience at the moment that we realize the betrayal. It is just so hard to believe that someone we care for so much has treated us worse than a stranger. Even though Jesus, knowing all things, had already confronted Judas about his imminent mutiny at the last supper, that didn't cushion the pain. Obviously, it was part of the prophesied drama that would lead to the Cross and to our redemption, but it was the act that effectively sealed the fate of Judas.

We read in Matthew 27:3-5 that after Judas saw that Jesus was condemned to die, he tried to return his reward, the silver coins. We're led to understand that the Greek used in that passage reveals that Judas had "feelings of regret and remorse" (ESV Study Bible notes), but not the change of heart that comes with repentance. Judas couldn't change their minds. He would have had to deal with the guilt the rest of his years, so he took his own life. Another friend, Peter, also betrayed Him, but the difference between Judas and Peter is that Peter was truly repentant, and was restored.

It is a sobering thing to consider what Judas did. It should cause us to pause and consider, could we ever have committed that act? Thanks to God that it is not just our repentance but even first the desire to repent that is put in our hearts by God Himself: "he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him" (Eph 1:4). But for the grace of God, in our hearts we could be just like Judas...

by Rich Cromwell

Labels: Guest Post, Lent

Jesus spent his entire ministry prophesying of his death and resurrection. At times He passed out of men's hands because his time had not yet come; but when the time was right, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. The night that the Passover began, when the lamb was to be slaughtered, Jesus foretold his death in the upper room. He bade Judas to complete his schemes.

Hours later he went to the garden, as was his habit, where any friends or traitors might know to find him. He knew what was in the hearts of all men, and he knew what had to be accomplished to fulfill the Scriptures.

Then he prayed, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me."

He must die or be proven a liar. He must rise from the dead or the Father's eternal decrees would fail. Yet he asked the Father for another way, and as John Calvin said, "The vehemence of desire took away from him the immediate recollection of the decree, so that he did not at that moment reflect, that it was on this condition that he was sent to be the Redeemer of mankind." Vehemence of desire? He prostrated himself on the ground that he had made, sweated blood, and an angel came to strengthen him.

After Good Friday comes triumphant Resurrection Sunday. But righteous, innocent Jesus, in the garden, dreaded the cup that was his, and justly so. He suffered beatings and mocking, execution on a filthy Roman cross, and endured the full brunt of the Father's just wrath. He died. He would have to be inhuman not to fear, and he was fully human.

"Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done."

How can the two parts of the prayer be reconciled? Can a request deviate from God's will and remain pure? How can Christ request that the eternal decree be revoked and yet not venture into sin? Again, Calvin says,

"There is a certain kind of indirect disagreement with the good pleasure of God, which is not faulty and is not reckoned as sin; if, for example, a person desires to see the Church in a calm and flourishing condition, if he wishes that the children of God were delivered from afflictions. We see how those prayers are holy, which appear to be contrary to the will of God; for God does not desire us to be always exact or scrupulous in inquiring what he has appointed, but allows us to ask what is desirable to the capacity of our senses...

"And though the Spirit of God governs us, so that we wish nothing but what is agreeable to reason, still we owe to God such obedience as to endure patiently that our wishes should not be granted."*

Christ submitted himself to his Father's will, learning and practicing the obedience for which the Father would exalt him. He restrained his feelings and gave himself into his Father's hands. He fulfilled his Father's will and conquered death to be our Savior.

by Jenn Lawrence

*John Calvin, Calvin's Commentaries Volume XVII (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2009), 231-33.

Labels: Guest Post, Lent

Have you ever had someone wash your feet? I'm not sure you can fully enter into the emotion of the scene in John 13:1-15 if you have not. Recently we were discussing this scene at our care group. One of our young women commented on what it would have been like to be sitting above our Lord as he humbled himself in the position of a slave or servant to wash our dirty feet while looking up into our eyes. Could we bear such a moment?

Eight years ago as we prepared to take our youth group to Brazil I had to sit above one of the young men who had diligently served me in this project for two years. He asked to wash my feet and the emotion I felt towards him at that moment made me understand why Peter would blurt out, "Lord, you shall never wash my feet." It was deeply humbling. As tears flooded my eyes, it was actually painful having someone I cared so much about take a position of humility below me and look into my eyes.

Jesus then wraps his garment around him and sits back at the table. Were the disciples dumbfounded, in shock, having watched Jesus lovingly touch each disciple? Were they were confused? Did their hearts burn with love?

He says to them, "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 should do as I have done to you." This act of great humility Jesus meant as a teaching tool, to be followed by his atoning sacrifice on the cross.

We are to take up our cross and follow him daily. But what about washing one another's feet or, perhaps more applicable, serving one another with the humility of Philippians 2, putting ourselves beneath the concerns of another brother or sister in Christ?

I think this example is one we all embrace in our "one anothering," yet do we remember that Judas was also one whom Jesus knelt before, perhaps looked into his face and washed his dirty feet knowing full well his dirty heart. That reality causes my heart to cry out along with John, "Behold, what kind of love is this?"

It is a self denying love, a hard love to live up to, a love that we desperately need to have infused into our hearts from our Father. It is the love that resided in Jesus as he set His face toward Jerusalem. This Lenten season, ponder this love, setting our affections upon the Lover, by grace getting beneath our brothers and sisters, taking advantage of opportunities to serve. Perhaps in the process we will be blessed to see them with the eyes of Jesus and cultivate a deeper love for one another.

Holding a feeble hand of a weak brother, encouraging the faint heart of a sister, admonishing a rebel soul back towards repentance to their loving Savior, will all result in new affections in our hearts towards one another and a greater appreciation for our Teacher who led us by His humble example as seen in John 13:1-15.

by Pat Bowditch

Labels: God's Love, Guest Post, Humility, Lent, Servanthood, The Love of Christ

It is nearly always good to eat with close friends. There is just something about enjoying a meal together that strengthens bonds and lightens hearts. It is apparent from this passage that Jesus shared that view: "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you". But there is something deeper here as well. Jesus is showing his disciples that he loves them and his love is deeper, more radical and more intense than ever demonstrated by any human in the history of the world before or since.

First, Jesus lets his disciples know the time is now very short. After this meal, he won't eat or drink again until he returns from the cross. There is an element of prophecy here, but I think more significantly Jesus is making clear that he is not a victim of circumstance. He knows what is about to happen and is not seeking to change it. He wants his disciples to know that this is not just another Passover, but represents the last time they will enjoy one together. It's as if he is saying, "Hey guys, pay attention this is important!"

Second, Jesus is demonstrating that regardless of his circumstance he will obey God his Father. He took the cup and gave thanks. He also broke the bread and gave thanks. I sincerely doubt that this was a quick formulaic prayer by Jesus to his Father. Nothing Jesus does is formulaic; that would be outside his character. His actions are always careful, intentional and with feeling. It is interesting that the Gospel writer was careful to make note of both prayers in the text. I think it may be because the author wanted to make clear that even though Jesus was under tremendous stress, he still remembered that the simple pleasure of this meal was a tremendous gift from God and love for his Father demands that he thank him for it. Jesus always had his priorities straight.

Third, Jesus shows his disciples what love really means. "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." Jesus is predicting his death on the cross and is at the same time creating a ceremony to memorialize it. His body is about to be broken, not because he was a victim of the Roman Empire that was seeking to prevent a Jewish uprising, or a victim of Jewish leaders seeking to prevent a rabble rouser from diminishing their authority, but because Jesus loved us. He gave us his body and poured out his blood of his own volition so that we by his death may have life. It was entirely because of Love that he died on the cross.

This is why the celebration of the Lord's Supper should be so significant to us. It is a ceremony remembering that Jesus was a lover of our souls, and when you are loved by Jesus, you can be sure that that Love will stop at nothing. It is an all out, radical, revolutionary, extreme love that will sacrifice for you in obedience to the Father. What a Savior!

by Adam Metcalf

Labels: Communion, Guest Post, Lent

I confess that it is my tendency to be low key in my expressions of love for the people that I care about. It has been known to get me into trouble at times.

When it is not made unmistakable, love can be easily missed or overlooked.

In Matthew 26:1-13 we find a woman about whom we've heard nothing before now. From nowhere, it seems, she enters the scene with a certain prescience about what the next few days would hold for Jesus. We don't have her back-story, but what is apparent is that she had seen enough of Jesus to be fundamentally impacted by him. We know, by her actions, that her affection for her Savior had boiled over.

You don't just grab an expensive jar of perfume on your way out the door to dinner with church members and leaders thinking, "Eh, I might have need of this while I'm there. I'd better bring it along." Then while at dinner with those friends and leaders, you don't suddenly think, "Oh, I should break this jar and spend it all in an act of love."

No, she planned this event. Overcome with the joy of her Lord, she spent time considering how best she could show it. In her care and concern, in her love, she made a statement about the worth of Jesus that was unavoidable.

In the same way, God didn't suddenly think "Ah, maybe I'll send my Son down there. It might help." Nor, when Jesus was grown did he spontaneously think "Maybe if I just died, it would solve this problem." No, Father, Son, and Spirit planned before time began how to demonstrate love for us and "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Our Father planned how to show his love for us. He planned how to rescue us. He did not make it low key; he made it as obvious as a cross. He did not hold back; he spent it all.

As this woman broke the flask and poured out the perfume, God broke his Son and poured out his blood.

"Love so amazing, so divine..."

How often, when planning a way to show love to someone, do I consider the cost and rein in the concept? How often, when expressing myself, do I choose to reel it in a bit so as not to go too far. How often, when enjoying the love of my Savior, do I hold back rather than get carried away? Understated expressions of love and devotion do not change lives, they do not change worlds.

This woman didn't hold back. Neither did God.

Neither should I.

By Tim W. Shorey

Labels: Extravagance, Guest Post, Lent, Love

Matt. 21:1-11

My favorite movie scene comes from the old "Robin Hood" movie with Errol Flynn. Robin Hood and his merry men come upon some hooded travelers. After a little banter in an attempt to "take from the rich and give to the poor," one of the travelers dismounts and removes his cloak. The true King of England reveals himself and Robin Hood immediately falls to his knees in honor of the one he has faithfully tried to serve.

I love this scene because it reminds me of the day when my King will return. He won't be cloaked in a hood. Matt. 21:1-11 tells of a time when the King came under cover of human flesh. He had his "merry men" around him. In recalling this scene, John Piper says in a 1982 sermon, "There's no doubt what those disciples had in their minds what was happening at that moment because they knew their Old Testament. They knew the prophecy from Zech. 9:9-10. The Messiah has come that Palm Sunday; from here he would rule the whole world."

Piper goes on to say, "Imagine how the disciples must have felt on that first entry into Jerusalem… like soldiers ready for battle. How would he do it? Would he rush in and bring down the Roman Praetorium, or call fire down from heaven and destroy God’s enemies? What a day!"

Yes, it was a day but they were soon to find out that it wasn't the day they had in mind. Their understanding was flawed, yet it was true. This entry into Jerusalem was a foretaste of what is yet to come – more like a rehearsal. Zechariah 9 will yet be fulfilled completely. Only John notes that there were palm branches being waved and laid down as they would be for a returning triumphant warrior. Fast forward to Revelation 7:9 and again John gives us another picture, a great multitude consisting of all nations, tribes and peoples are standing before the throne and before the Lamb with palm branches in their hands.

Palm Sunday has always seemed an irony to me as doubtless many of the same crowd would shout, "Crucify him!" less than a week later. As I have contemplated this with this helpful sermon from Piper, I see it now more as the rehearsal for that day when the Coming of The King will be a final victory lap and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Until then every Sunday is a rehearsal for That Day. Dress rehearsals always supply a tremendous energy as we await the real performance. May it be so with our worship each week, because we never know whether this Sunday may be the dress rehearsal. Maranatha! Come soon Lord Jesus! The King is coming!

by Pat Bowditch

Labels: Guest Post, Lent

Two weeks from today, Jesus will die.

More than once before His death, Jesus foretold it. In Matthew 19:17-19, we have one such prediction. "I'm going to Jerusalem", He said, "and when I get there, death awaits; an unjust, cruel, mocking, shameful, horrific death at the hands of pagan rulers according to the wish and will of the religious leaders of My own people."

"But I'm going anyway."

As Good Friday draws closer, it might be good to reflect on why Jesus might have made this prediction. I wouuld offer these possible reasons:

1. He did not want his followers to be shocked by the dark days ahead, and made vulnerable by the shock. God is kind this way: He tells us often in His Word that the way of faith and obedience leads to many sorrows and much suffering so that when it happens we will not be surprised or dismayed.
2. He wanted them to know that He was fully aware of every dark development, even before it happened, so that they would know His calm and sovereign purpose in it all. Things were happening as planned by God (Acts 2:23; 4:26-28). Calvary was not a mistake or surprise, bringing our Lord's life to an untimely end; it was the reason and purpose for which He had come into the world.
3. He wanted them to know the greatness of His love. How much does Jesus love His people? Enough to walk straight ahead, fully aware that every step was leading Him closer to the cross. He didn't flinch or panic or turn back. He came to redeem those He loves through His death, and that's what He did.

He stared death in the face, and walked right into its grasp. Behold the purposeful sovereign loving grace of Christ.

Labels: Death of Christ, Ethnic Grace, Gospel, Lent

I was driving the day after one of our recent snowstorms. The sun was in full strength without a cloud in the sky to dim its light. The reflection of the light off the snow was so intense I was, for all practical purposes, blinded. Squinting my eyes wasn't sufficient. Pulling down the visor wasn't sufficient. My eyes couldn't take it. I couldn't see where I was going because I couldn't handle the intensity of the light. It was painful. It actually hurt to try and keep my eyes open. I had to pull off the road and buy a pair of sunglasses to try to enable myself to safely operate my car.

In Matthew's account (Matthew 17:1-8) of Jesus' transfiguration before Peter, James, and John it says, "He was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light." And in Mark's account it says, "his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them." Christ's divine glory was best described as shining like the sun and intensely white.

With Jesus came two great saints: Moses and Elijah. We have another account of Moses in the presence of the glory of God. In Exodus 33 we read about Moses being shown the back of God’s glory. What was the effect that this encounter had? Moses' face shined so brightly that when he came down from the presence of the Lord the people of Israel begged him to cover his face, for they couldn't handle the reflection of the brightness of the back of the glory of God.

Peter, James, and John didn't just see two men that had been briefly been shown the back of God's glory but they saw two glorified saints that had been living in God’s presence, soaking up the radiance of the face of God. Luke's account says that Moses and Elijah "appeared in glory." Apparently, they were so glorious that Peter thought it appropriate to build three tents, or tabernacles: one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.

But the problem was that their glory was not their own. Their glory was simply an absorbing of the brightness of God himself. The snow that blinded me was not blinding me with its own light but the light from the sun. Moses and Elijah were glorious but they were not glorious in themselves but through the light of the Son. God's words declare this to us, "This (not just Jesus physically but I believe all the glory that they were beholding) is my Son, my Chosen One." They saw the glory of God, for they saw Jesus in his pre-incarnate glory, so glorious that he didn't just shine but he made everyone that spent time in his presence shine too.

And when God the Father spoke down from heaven affirming this to be his Son Jesus, he declared with it the only proper response that the disciples and we should have: "listen to him." Words from a God this glorious should not be taken lightly but his words need to be listened to and obeyed.

by Elliot Shorey

Labels: Guest Post, Lent

Just days before His passion, our Lord battles hell over the death of His friend Lazarus. In the course of this, in John 11:25, 26 Jesus makes two bold declarative statements, followed by one penetrating personal question, all of which present watershed issues for our lives.

First, Jesus claims the power of, and makes the promise of, eternal life, in Himself: "I am the resurrection and the life." He does not say "I give resurrection and life" (although of course He does), but "I am resurrection and life. Life exists in Me" (John 1:4). No wonder the grave couldn't hold Him.

Then Jesus declares: "Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die." This two-fold promise is awesome indeed: "Believe in Me and live forever. And even if you die, you really won't. You'll just pass into life eternal."

Now the personal question Jesus asks: "Do you believe this?" What Jesus asked Martha, He would ask us. Do you believe this?

Granted, these are bold claims if ever there were such! But that's just the point. Such claims demand a conclusion. You must either believe, or not. One thing you cannot do is ignore. And here's a fact: you either do believe, or not. The direction of your life reveals which it is.

If you really believe this, the direction of your life is set: you are seeking to know and serve and love and trust Christ in such a way that you might enjoy His presence and favor forever in the eternal life He is and gives.

If you don't believe, the direction of your life is set: you are doing whatever floats your boat to create as many fun feelings as you can between now and when you croak. You're not concerned to store up for an afterlife that you don't think really exists.

So do you believe? Are you willing to risk all to have Christ, and with him life eternal? Or will you go on in the day-dream that it really doesn't matter after all?

What's the old set of alternatives regarding Jesus? He was either the Lord (of life), or a liar, or a lunatic. Whatever you do just don't cling to the nonsense that He was simply a good man and moral teacher.

Such claims as those in John 11:25, 26 do not leave you that option. You're going to have to make your choice. What's it going to be?

Labels: Eternal Life, Faith, Gospel, Lent, resurrection of Christ. Guest Post

Matthew 23:37 – "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 would not!"

Oh, I so much want to begin with the analogy of the chicken gathering her brood but think it wise to set the context of today’s verse. In the first verses of Matthew 23, Jesus delivers a scathing rebuke to the scribes and Pharisees. As a matter of fact, his exact words to them are, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees!" He not only says this once but seven times and calls them names – hypocrites(7x’s), blind guides (1x), blind fools (1x), whitewashed tombs (1x), brood of vipers (1x), and serpents (1x). Strong language for the rulers of his day. Strong warnings for those who were entrusted with the care of His chicks.

God had sent many emissaries to the people of Israel who clearly pointed them in the right way but instead they "killed the prophets and stoned those who are sent to it!" This particular group of scribes and Pharisees was so prideful that they were sure had they lived in the times of their fathers they would not have taken the same action. But we know better. Not only would they have joined in, but they would very soon kill the Son of God. Jesus knew this.

Doesn't it make you weep to see the compassion Jesus shows here for Israel (including the scribes and Pharisees), his dearly loved people yet in many ways his enemies? Can't you hear the empathy in the words "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem"? Haven't you uttered similar words over friends and family? These people hate him and yet he loves them. He loves them enough to want to gather them as a hen gathers her chicks, but they wouldn't let him.

Such imagery conjures up in my mind the very maternal instinct of a plump hen in a slight tizzy, wings stretched as far as they'll reach, corralling her babes under her body. Danger is near and they need protection or night is coming and it's time to be tucked in. Once gathered, her chicks can be barely seen because she encompasses the whole brood. While she offers a warm place of safety and rest, there needs to be a word of warning, you do not want to mess with "this chick". "Hen pecked" will have a whole new meaning.

Jesus was offering his dearly loved people, Israel, gentle yet fierce love and protection and they would not have it. Hard to imagine isn't it.

Jesus is offering the same love and protection to us through his death on the cross? Will we have it?

Psalm 91:1 -- He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

by Debbie Stengele

Labels: Guest Post, Lent, Love of Christ

Three years ago I had the privilege of sitting alone with Tim's mother as she lay dying. There had been an all-night vigil with Tim and his siblings surrounding her, but at one point I found myself alone with her for a little while. I'll never forget it. I remember holding her hand, studying it, remembering all that she had done to serve me. Then my thoughts went to Tim. She had fed him, clothed him, comforted him, disciplined him, held a book to read to him, held his hand in hers, held him in worship, and prayed for him with those hands. Hers were wonderfully beautiful hands.

Hands. They are an important part of us. There is no other part of our body that can grasp something as securely and for as long as the hands.

Isn't it wonderful that Jesus uses this image to convey His and the Father's everlasting loving care of us?

This isn't poetry. The last words Jesus spoke as He was dying on the cross were, "Into Thy hands I commit my spirit." Jesus, too, was in need of the Father's hands. A split second after breathing out his last words Jesus experienced the full wrath of God. He knew what He was in for. He knew it was all up to God the Father from that point on. As he willingly submitted to the Father he confidently placed His life in the Father's hands.

And now He sits at the Father's right hand.

What are your fears? What keeps you awake at night? What do you find yourself worrying about? What would it take to make you be completely worry-free? How secure is secure for you? How could you know for certain that you are protected from danger, disease and death? Would hiring a personal physician and health guru help?

What about your home, your family, your "things"? Are they safe? Would you think it enough protection if you owned a guard dog? Or would installing a "Broad View Home Security System" give you peace? Or would you not feel safe until you built a fully stocked underground bunker, (just as the President would use in case of disaster - surely if it's good enough for the president than surely it should be good enough for you).

In John 10:29 Jesus tell us we are safe in the hands of the Father. Sounds nice, but how can we know for sure?

We can know for sure because, "He that secured the glory of the Redeemer will secure the glory of the redeemed." (Matthew Henry). If it was true for Jesus it is true for us.

"Nothing - nothing shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:34). Because Jesus committed His Spirit into the Father's hands, and because Jesus now sits at the Father's right hand, we can be confident that we, too, are safe in the Father's Hands. It doesn't get any better, or safer, or more secure than that.

by Gayline Shorey

Labels: death, eternal security, Guest Post, Lent, The Love of God

I grew up singing this old hymn:

I was a wandering sheep,
I did not love the fold;
I did not love my Shepherd's voice,
I would not be controlled.
I was a wayward child,
I did not love my home;
I did not love my Father's voice,
I loved afar to roam.

The Shepherd sought His sheep,
The Father sought His child;
They followed me o'er vale and hill,
O'er deserts waste and wild;
They found me nigh to death,
Famished and faint and lone;
They bound me with the bands of love,
They saved the wand'ring one.

They spoke in tender love,
They raised my drooping head,
They gently closed my bleeding wounds,
My fainting soul they fed;
They washed my filth away,
They made me clean and fair;
They brought me to my home in peace,
The long sought wanderer.

Jesus my Shepherd is:
'Twas He that loved my soul;
'Twas He that washed me in His blood,
'Twas He that made me whole.
'Twas He that sought the lost,
That found the wand'ring sheep,
'Twas He that brought me to the fold,
'Tis He that still doth keep.

No more a wandering sheep,
I love to be controlled;
I love my tender Shepherd's voice,
I love the peaceful fold.
No more a wayward child,
I seek no more to roam;
I love my heavenly Father's voice,
I love, I love His home!

All because of John 10:14, 15.

Labels: Death of Christ, Election, Gospel, Lent

"You have made us for Yourself and our hearts are restless until they find peace in you." --St. Augustine

You know that feeling when you're really REALLY sleep-deprived? Heavy eye-lids, pounding head-ache, 'fuzzy' thoughts. All you can think about is collapsing into your warm, comfy bed and sleeping for about two years!

The human body craves rest, needs rest. The degree to which the body feels its need for rest differs, depending on how far removed from its last resting period it is--but it always needs rest. Rest offers a temporary fix for the body's need, but it is not lasting. Before long, the body needs more rest.

The body's need for rest really pictures for us the soul's need for rest. The human soul longs to be satisfied. It searches everywhere for rest--family, medication, entertainment, pleasure, sports, career, etc. Just like the body, the soul experiences temporary periods of rest. It isn't long however, before the nagging need for satisfying rest returns and the search for something new to fulfill us is undertaken.

This world promises us so much. At the end of the day why are we left longing for more?

Sinclair Ferguson says, "There are aches this world cannot heal because it was never meant to heal them." ("The Greatest Rest You Will Ever Enjoy")

So what, or who, is made to heal our aches and longings and anxieties and guilt?

Jesus said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28)

But what makes Jesus' claim to be able to provide rest different from all of the 'false advertisers' out there?

The world puts a band-aid onto an open wound; Jesus operates on the sore and cleans out the infection. Jesus deals with the real problem of our souls' restlessness: He takes away the burden of our sins.

We spend our lives rushing to and fro to 'doctors' (media, books, education, etc.) being misdiagnosed and prescribed 'medications' (entertainment, substances, money, etc.) that do not make our symptoms disappear, but worsen. Our disease is never healed. Jesus is saying, "I'm the Master Physician. I have the cure to your disease--come to Me for healing!" And the cure is free!

Why then do so few take Jesus up on His wonderful invitation?

You have to admit that you're sick. Not just sick, but terminally ill.

Ferguson explains, "[Jesus'] invitation is to those who are conscious that they bear burdens and therefore seek help and grace and salvation for their needs. It's an invitation that someone who feels no need is never going to hear, never going to respond to." ("The Greatest Need You Will Ever Have")

When grace opens our eyes to our sick condition, there Jesus is with open arms. "I will give you rest," He says.


Jesus gives me rest. Fully-satisfying, wonder-inducing, worship-prompting rest. My rest in Jesus lies in this: I fully rely on Christ to be my righteousness before God.

The burdensome attempts at being 'religious' enough are over. The guilt over my sins is gone. My anxieties about where I will spend eternity have disappeared.

My confidence in God lies not in what I do, but in what Christ did on the cross. That is the rest that Jesus gives to all who come to Him!

by Robin Lawrence

Labels: Guest Post, Lent

Matthew tells us in Chapter 16 that "Jesus began to show his disciples" about the necessity of his sufferings and death. He begins in clearer terms than ever before to speak to them about the necessity of his going to the cross. This prompts Peter to rebuke Jesus and question the need for such talk. Looking back on this passage with the rest of the teachings of the New Testament at our disposal, no knowledgeable Christian today would argue that the cross of Christ was unnecessary. In fact, cross-centered is a good description of any true Christian.

But what about the other cross mentioned in verse 24, the one we are told to take up as followers of Christ. First century believers would surely hear this command with amazement. Taking up one's cross meant certain death to them, and a cruel, painful death at that. To take up one's cross in their day was to carry the very means of their own execution to the place of crucifixion. To make this command anything less than a command of Christ to die to everything that has to do with self would be to water down its serious message.

Jesus teaches in these verses that our death is just as necessary as His if we would be saved, for it is only those who lose their lives for Christ's sake that truly find eternal life. The message of Matthew 16 is that two crosses are necessary for us to be saved, His cross and ours. In a Christian culture which questions the necessity of taking up one's cross, and for that matter the need for discipleship in any form, may God give us grace to boldly proclaim the necessity of both crosses, and may he give us grace to follow Christ's command with a greater sincerity and sobriety than ever before.

by Scott Stengele

Labels: Guest Post, Lent

God's ways are not our ways. He does things we can not even imagine through means we cannot even conceive.

That's why Peter runs into a mental/emotional buzz saw in Matthew 16:21-23. Peter simply had no category for what Jesus says in Matthew 16:21. The idea that his Savior-King-Redeemer would die was inconceivable. How could a dead Messiah deliver?

Mortified to the point of near apoplexy, Peter presumes to rebuke the Master for His self-imposed death sentence. "Jesus," said the apostle, "what in the world are you thinking? Get such thoughts out of your mind! You will not, you cannot die! You are, after all, the Messiah-King-Deliverer!" He spoke from real, but misguided love.

Peter's problem was one of selective Bible reading. He'd joined his Jewish contemporaries in loving the Old Testament texts predicting a mighty Deliverer-King, while largely ignoring the Isaiah 53 type texts about a Suffering Servant-Messiah. Like all humans, he wanted deliverance and salvation with no cost, no sorrow, no pain, no suffering.

He had no sense that before he or any sinner could enjoy God's salvation God would have to atone for man's sin. There is no kingdom of saints unless there is an atonement for sinners. Before the Messiah could rule as King, He had to die as Lamb.

Yes indeed--God's plan was to save through suffering and death.

So I repeat: God's ways are not our ways. He does things that we can not even imagine through means we cannot even conceive.

Satan knows this better than anyone. So that's why he got into Peter's brain and planted this rebuke. Satan hoped to derail the plan of God through the ignorance of man. He hoped that just maybe, Jesus might hear Peter's words, and buy into the ignorance.

But Jesus would have none of it. He told Satan to get lost, set Peter's mind on course, and kept right on walking toward Calvary; no hesitation, no slacking of His pace, no turning back.

Friends, God has done what we cannot imagine (saving us for eternal bliss) through means we cannot even imagine (the bloody accursed cross). And it happened because Jesus sensed Satan's lie in Peter's love, and commanded the enemy be gone.

Then He marched on to Golgotha with a cross-beam on His shoulders and our forgiveness in His heart.

Labels: Atonement, Cross Centered Living, Death of Christ, Lent

"And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days being tempted by the devil" (Luke 4:1, 2).

Most if not all of the material for this blog post was lifted directly from a sermon by Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church. Here is the link to the video: Jesus Without Sin.



First, it is important to remember, I think, that Jesus was not tempted only three times but was tempted continually for forty days. We should also remember that Jesus was fully tempted as we are yet without sin. It is sometimes difficult to appreciate that Jesus was as tempted as we are if not more so because he never relented. Imagine two weightlifters in a gym. One struggles to get the bar off his chest only to cry out for his spotter; the other presses the weight all the way up. Which one felt the full weight?

Isn't it interesting that two of the three recorded temptations that Satan offers are presented as questions regarding Jesus' identity? The first temptation, "If you are the son of God command these stones to become bread", doesn't even seem like a temptation at first glance. Jesus is more than capable of performing the miracle. It is his creation and he is hungry; so what is the issue? First, Satan is asking Jesus to use his power to feed himself. This is in direct contradiction to Jesus' mandate to lay down his life for his people. Second, Satan is trying to call the shots. Obviously when stated like this, the temptation should have been easy for Jesus to defeat. The opening that Satan uses to try to wedge Jesus from the truth is to question Jesus' relationship with God the Father.

After Satan promises Jesus the wealth and power of the world without having to experience pain and death on the cross, Satan returns to a variation of his first question. The third temptation, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here...", also seeks to find an opening in Jesus spiritual armor by questioning Jesus' identity. Why is this significant? Pastor Mark says it is because "identity determines biography." If we believe we are victims we will never accept accountability for our sin. If we believe we are damaged goods, we will never experience the full blessing of grace that God intends for us. Satan brings up the identity question two times in thirteen verses. It must be because he finds this as an effective line of attack.

Are you secure in your relationship as God's adopted son or daughter? Has Satan gotten you to doubt if you are a Christian? Remember that Satan is a liar and the father of all lies. He will say anything to separate you from the truth that we have in Christ. Remember that God our Father loves us and has given us a savior who can sympathize with our weaknesses.

by Adam Metcalf

Labels: Guest Post, Lent

In the space-time continuum that is human history, today we come to the fulfillment of the prophecies that had been foretold: our Savior's birth. In Luke 2:8-14 we read of the angels' appearance to the lowly shepherds in the fields around Bethlehem, to announce the Savior's birth.

Isn't it typical of God to reveal Himself to those whom the world would likely view as "insignificant"? And this revelation to the shepherds was not trivial either. Luke states that the "glory of the Lord" was around them, and that's why they were terrified. That "glory" was typically in the form of a cloud, a burning fire, or a bright light, the latter which would have been especially terrifying in the night. More than that, after the initial announcement of our Savior's birth by an "angel of the Lord," a host (probably thousands) of angels appeared to the shepherds to bring glory to God and to proclaim peace to those with which God is pleased.

The purveyors of modern culture would have no idea as to why the Savior's birth and its announcement would be to such a numerically limited and lowly audience (shepherds). I mean, listen to Judas diatribe against Jesus from "Jesus Christ Superstar": "If you'd come today you could have reached a whole nation. Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication." The announcement of such an important event as the birth of our Savior to shepherds, and the shepherds' subsequent announcement to all, is akin to having a homeless man in the streets of Port-au-Prince calling the Associated Press to let them know that there was a major earthquake in Haiti. It just doesn't make sense. Of course, to those who have been quickened by His Spirit, however, it reveals God's great mystery (Col. 2:2 ESV). "But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise..." (I Cor. 1:27-29 ESV).

The "unremarkable" situation of our Savior’s birth stands as a distinct event in the course of God's plan for our redemption: through all of the prophecies of Old Testament prophets in the past, to the future (and what will be the subject of these posts in the weeks to come) in His perfect life, substitutionary atonement, resurrection, and glorification. The announcement of our Savior's birth is contrary to what we as humans in our sinfulness would consider as relevant to history (or even our own lives). In reality, it is even greater evidence that God will glorify His name in the manner which He determines. And, that's not usually the way that we would imagine that it should be accomplished: "… a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory" (I Cor. 2:7 ESV).

In this Lenten season, as believers in God's great mystery, we can take great comfort in the assurance that God works all things according to the "counsel of his will" (Eph 1:11 ESV), not the least of which was the birth of our Savior.

by Rich Cromwell

Labels: Christmas, Guest Post, Incarnation, Lent, Savior

In Micah 5:2-5 we read another remarkable prophecy about the coming Messiah. Here is what we see:

1. Micah 5a: "And he shall be their peace..." Who shall be their peace?
The one:

-Who shall come forth from Bethlehem Ephrathah.
-Who is to be ruler in Israel.
-Whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
-Whose brothers shall return to the people of Israel.
-Who shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD.
-Who shall be great to the ends of the earth.

2. "And he shall be their peace..." Who is "their" referring to? In the context of Micah's prophesy we have:

-Israel
-Gentiles
-The elect remnant (Jew & Gentile)

3. "And he shall be their peace..." What is this "peace"?
In the context (Micah's whole prophecy) peace would refer to rest and protection from their enemies. It would also refer to peace (reconciliation) with God.

-Micah 4 - "There you shall be rescued; there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies...and many nations shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD"

The context of "peace" above, is mainly an earthly peace, with the nations flowing into the mountain of the Lord united (Jew & Gentile) in peace. But we also read, "we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever", which would suggest something more – eternal peace to be enjoyed by the remnant/elect of God, both now and forever.

Jesus is "the fountainhead of peace between God and man, between Israel and Israel's justly offended God, and, as the consequence, the fountain of 'peace on earth,' where heretofore all is strife" (Jamison). Jesus is "the cause and author of peace...between God and men...by the blood of his cross..." (John Gill).

As we approach Easter (Good Friday & Resurrection Sunday), feast on Ephesians 2:11-22

"...remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from...Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you...have been brought near by the blood of Christ. FOR HE HIMSELF IS OUR PEACE, who has made us both one...that he might create in himself one new man...,so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross.... And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near."

This Easter season do not focus on peace. Instead set your full attention on the One who is your peace. Some of you may have seen the bumper sticker with this simple phrase:

Know Jesus, Know Peace
No Jesus, No Peace.

This is just another way of saying, "He Himself is our peace."

by Ernie Kerwin

Labels: Christmas, Easter, Good Friday, Guest Post, Lent, peace

Isaiah 53:12 begins with that ever important word: "therefore". This follows the statement in verse 11 that the servant will make many to be accounted righteous and shall bear their iniquities. And then verse 12 says, "Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong."

This speaks of the Servant's exaltation. He receives the spoil of the victory. He receives His due reward. And as the rest of the verse emphasizes again, it is "because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors."

The "therefore" at the beginning of verse 12 makes the same connection between Jesus' humiliation and exaltation as the "therefore" in Philippians 2:9. "And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name..." Jesus' humiliation on our behalf is rewarded with great exaltation.

Another indication of the Servant's success is in the middle of verse 10, just after the statement that "he shall see his offspring." It goes on to say, "He shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand." This is a reference to Jesus' resurrection, because even though He was crushed and put to grief, He prolongs His days.

His mission did not end in death. His Father crushed Him, but then His Father brought Him back to life and prolongs His days. He lives, and He reigns forever more!

Christ's resurrection is so essential to the Gospel, because had He not conquered the grave, His sacrificial death would have been a total failure; He would have saved no one.

As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, "if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins" (v. 17). It was not enough that Jesus died. He had to die and then conquer death. He had to triumph over the grave. Our salvation depends upon it. Romans 4:25 says He "was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification."

That verse shows us the inseparable connection between Jesus' death and His resurrection. He was raised for our justification, meaning His resurrection proved that the substitutionary death was effective. The resurrection proves that Jesus' death conquered death, and therefore purchased our justification.

This is the reason why the observance of Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday is such a significant time for Christians. These are the two enormous events that have revolutionized our lives and they should be the focus of our lives every day of the year.

Jesus died on a cross for our sins, and He came back to life on the third day to demonstrate His triumph over sin and death. Jesus accomplished His agonizing mission, and then He looks out over the fruit of His labors, and He is satisfied.

by Sesky Paul

Labels: Death of Christ, exaltation of Christ, Lent, resurrection of Christ. Guest Post

"Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities."

How could God the Father have killed His own Son, let alone delight to do so? What compelling purpose would warrant this action of a seemingly utter betrayal? When Jesus was baptized, didn't the Father say, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17)? What compelled the Father to do this? And what compelled the Son to submit to this?

The purpose that the Father and the Son agreed to was the redemption of sinners in such a way that would magnify God's justice, righteousness and glory. This is powerfully expressed in Romans 3:23-26:

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."

This passage explains why God the Father crushed His Son, and why He delighted to crush His Son, and why the Son agreed to be crushed. Hebrews 12:2 says, "for the joy that was set before him endured the cross."

The cross was something that the Father and the Son agreed to, for the purpose of displaying God's justice and displaying God's marvelous grace. This was done "so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."

Romans 5:1 tells us how that we become "justified" before the Lord by faith in Christ and His work on Calvary in our place for salvation, "Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

The love between the Father and the Son is immeasurable. It is infinite. The Father delights in His Son, who is "the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature" (Hebrews 1:3). The Father looks upon His Son and sees the radiance of His own glory, and He delights in Him.

God the Father is satisfied in the work of His Son, and the Son Himself is satisfied. The justice and wrath of God against sin and sinners was fully satisfied by the suffering of Jesus upon the cross of Calvary, and thus Isaiah tells us that the Lord would "see it and be satisfied."

by Sesky Paul

Labels: Atonement, Cross Centered Living, Death of Christ, Guest Post, Justification, Lent

In Isaiah's 700B.C. prophecy about the suffering Servant of Yahweh--the Son of God become Lamb of God--he includes details of the passion of Christ that are striking for their accuracy, but even more so for their poignancy.

As for the accuracy of these predictions notice that the Suffering Messiah would:

1. Submit to death without argument or personal defense (Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 26:59-63; Mark 14:55-61).
2. Actually die (Isaiah 53:8). This prediction of a dying Messiah made no sense to anyone looking for a mighty Deliverer, but in the wisdom of God's plan for human redemption, the Savior would have to die so that He could save.
3. Be buried in a rich man's grave (Isaiah 53:9; Mark 15:43; Luke 23:50-53).

As for the poignancy of these predictions, notice that the suffering Messiah:

1. Chose death for us over defense of self. Such was His love, and resolve to die for us that He didn't even try to put up a defense.
2. Was cut off from the land of the living not having any "generation" or children (Isaiah 53:8). He did not marry or have children because He was not here for such a purpose or pleasure. He came to produce offspring of a different sort (Isaiah 53:10; Hebrews 2:10-15). He came to save a people that would be children of faith and children of God.
3. Didn't even have his own tomb. (In the end this didn't matter much of course; since a Fort Knox vault-like tomb couldn't have held Him. But still: a borrowed tomb?!)

Such is the love of the Messiah for us. As you and I reflect on the dying love of Christ, may we feel the wonder of a Savior who gave up his rights, His life, His personal pleasure, His dignity, His all, for us.

Labels: Death of Christ, Gospel, Lent