04.11.09
“REST BEFORE RESURRECTION”
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REST BEFORE RESURRECTION
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Mar 15:46-16:1 NIV
46 So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.
47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.
16:1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.
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How must it have felt for those who loved and followed Jesus to have witnessed the events of His crucifixion and death. To have heard the cries of the crowd as they demanded, “crucify him!”; and the cry of their Lord as He bellowed, “it is finished!” then slumped in death. They would have seen the Roman officer spear Jesus’ dead body in the side; and noticed the water and the blood flowing. They would have trailed as the body was wrapped in linen and put in a tomb, mourning with the seeming finality of the stone rolled up against it.
But as faithful Jews, they would have sought to practice Sabbath; even having to wait to embalm their beloved Lord’s body with fragrant spices. How turbulent the ocean of thoughts in their minds, and feelings in their hearts. To know all their hopes dashed up on a bed of nails; stunned by what appeared to be the failure of the promised consolation of Israel.
But rest they did; Sabbath they practiced. Little did they know that they were not alone in practicing Sabbath. For what was Jesus doing, if not resting in a tomb? Could he have not arisen the very next morning? Rather he stayed still; awaiting the day after Sabbath; i.e. the day of new creation.
Only when the ladies rush to Jesus’ body at first light do they find that something amazing has happened! The stone is rolled back, and the presumably decaying body is not to be found.
As we find ourselves in the turbulent mix of trust and fear; will we not take time to embrace the rest God would offer us? On this Saturday between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, will we not also practice the rest which precedes resurrection?
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you humbly come before the Wise and Sovereign God, who has impeccable timing in knowing how to lead and pace your steps?
- Will you embrace a kind of spiritual resting today, one which looks back to God’s activity in atonement achieved, and resurrection in the wings? Will you lift up prayers of trust; and embrace a posture of holy waiting?
- Will you take time to reflect on all God has done for you, and shown you during this season of Lent; and prepare yourself to worship the Risen and Exalted Lord tomorrow morning on Resurrection Sunday?
This devotional was written by Pastor Martin
04.10.09
“WHOLLY RENT”
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WHOLLY RENT
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Mar 15:37-38 NIV
37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
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Hebrews 9:11-14 NIV
11 When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation.
12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.
13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.
14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
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It is Good Friday; the day we remember what Jesus endured and purchased for us on the cross. How difficult it is to register the gravity of this cosmos changing event. The gospel writers make sure that we do not misconstrue Jesus’ crucifixion and death as merely a martyring of a political insurrectionist.
Mark records that as Jesus projected a triumphal death cry, simultaneously the curtain of the temple was completely torn. There were two curtains in the temple: one separating the court with the Holy place, and the other separating the Holy place from the Most Holy place. Though scholars debate on which or if both curtains were rent, the point being made here is that the very blocks to our approach to God have been irreversibly rent.
The physical temple is but a symbolic representation of the concourse between heaven and earth; the umbilical cord so to speak. Hebrew remarks that Jesus as the Great High Priest, enters into not the man made Most Holy Place; rather the very place it represents, i.e. heaven! He enters not by the sacrificial blood of an unblemished animal; rather by His own blood. He doesn’t have to do this multiple times, rather He’s done it once and for all!
The result is that eternal redemption has been purchased; the separating curtains that are placed because of our sin have been torn. Jesus, through the rending of His body and soul, has wholly rent the obstacles to our approach to Holy God. Hebrews declares that we have been made clean, not only in the exterior; but even to the interior; not merely ceremonially, but at the level of our conscience.
And now, as servants who can approach the throne of grace to receive great aid; vessels of the poured out Spirit of God; we can live to serve the living God! What a scandalous cost was paid to redeem us to God?! The very Son of God was wholly rent; that we might seek and serve with holy abandon.
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- On this Good Friday morning, will you weep in response to the sacrifice of Christ? Weep in remorse for your sins which He willingly bore; and weep in thanksgiving for the atonement He’s purchased for you?
- Will you reflect, what man made barriers have you acknowledged or erected that keeps you from God? Have you tried to sew up that torn curtain and put it back up? Will you approach the throne of grace, coming face to face to your living, loving Christ? In faith, will you ask Him to cleanse your conscience of all that is keeping you from Him?
- Will you offer your life as a living sacrifice, telling Him that you will do what He asks; go where He sends. Linger in His presence, listening for His voice.
This devotion was written by Pastor Martin
04.09.09
“SILENT SUFFERING SERVANT”
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SILENT SUFFERING SERVANT
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Isa 53:1-12 NIV
Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
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To defend oneself from frontal attack is an instinctual response, one which requires no self justification. And so why would one suffer unjust blows in silence? At the surface, this is the mystery of the suffering servant in Isa. 53. A singular unassuming figure who comes with no fanfare, and no external merit. Rather than attracting acclaim, he attracts affliction; rather than garnering esteem, he nets rejection and despisal. The easy judgment placed on the sum of his person is that this one is rejected, and afflicted by God Himself.
Though unrecognizable at first, the deeper truth is that all of the servant’s suffering was vicarious. It wasn’t for his sins that he was pierced and crushed; rather for ours. All that punishment didn’t procure peace for Him, but for us. We find that we receive acceptance, forgiveness, and healing; paid for by his rejection, crucifixion, and death.
Why does the suffering servant remain silent? Why doesn’t he open his mouth in defense, or in acrimony? All the while knowing that this is the will of God; the servant chooses the path of surrender and trust. For God will vindicate; God will vicariously propitiate. Children will be born through painful process; little servants who will bear the name and character of the silent, suffering servant; Jesus Christ.
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you declare high praises to the one who descended the depths of suffering and shame for you? Will you both mourn over your sin which drove those nails in his hands; and delight in the grace which purchased your costly redemption?
- Will you embrace the path of the servant, i.e. surrender and trust? If you are having to endure suffering (just or unjust), will you lean all the more on Christ’s strength and love? He knows intimately what you are going through, and is able to walk you through to deliverance.
- Counting yourself as His child, offspring of His heart; will you ask for wisdom and grace to be his agent in your sphere of influence today? To return good for evil, grace for hate, blessing for curse; by the love and power of Christ and His Spirit?
This devotional was written by Pastor Martin
04.08.09
“BAND OF THE SURRENDERED”
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BAND OF THE SURRENDERED
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Mark 14:36 NIV
36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
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Matthew 12:46-50 NIV
6 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him.
47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”
49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers.
50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
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In the marketplace of competing agendas, the idea of surrendering one’s will is strange concept. Divesting from one’s right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness is such an un-American ideal. But when we look at the heart of Jesus, and the history of salvation; the yielding of one’s will to God’s higher promptings is absolutely critical in the pursuit of Kingdom life, liberty, and joy.
Jesus points the way for us. As the cup of suffering is placed before Him, Jesus first prays for its removal. But in the very same breath, surrender to the higher will of His Father is intentionally chosen. To do His Father’s will has been the driving engine of his life and ministry; the very food by which He is sustained and in which He delights (cf. John 4:34).
As one wholly surrendered to the will of God, Jesus is able to re-establish the boundaries of identity and loyalty. No longer is one’s inclusion amongst the people of God based on genetics. No longer is one’s filial status unchallenged as the primary marker for loyalty. A new solidarity is established; one which revolves around having surrendered to the will of the Father. When Jesus mother and brothers go to “collect” him, thinking he is making a fool of himself; Jesus points to his disciples and declares that they are his mother and brothers. For like Himself, they belonged to the band of the surrendered; wholly surrendered to the will of the Father.
We too will not fail to face the challenge that Christ and the disciples encountered. Will we opt to find solidarity amongst those seeking their own agenda, or within filial loyalty contexts? Or will we derive energy and delight in surrender to the Father’s will; and find that we too are counted amongst the band of the surrendered?
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you muse on the beautiful character of Christ; that though in very nature God, he knew how to surrender His will. Will you muse on the costly sacrifice of Christ, that He would drink from the cup of suffering out of that surrender? All for His father, and for us.
- Will you take stock of all the agendas that compete for your loyalty? Your own desires, the expectations of family, friends, employers, etc. Will you demote them in order to prioritize the will of the Father in your life? As you surrender, will you listen in faith knowing that God will clarify His will for you?
- Will you draw strength from others who belong to the band of the surrendered? Will you seek and offer encouragement, knowing that God is able to fulfill His higher promptings in all our lives?
This devotional written by Pastor Martin
04.07.09
“INTERNAL, ETERNAL”
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INTERNAL, ETERNAL
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2Co 4:7-11, 16-18 NIV
8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body…
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
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There are many factors which contribute to an army’s victory on the battlefield. Numerical superiority, tactics, even technological advantages must be counted. But time and time again, history has demonstrated that morale can be as, or even more important on the field of battle. A well equipped, numerically superior army can be routed by one which do not lose heart.
Could it be that when it comes to spiritual battle, that the same applies? Paul describes how despite overwhelming external opposition; he and his fellow warriors have not lost heart. Despite death at work in his body, life is being constantly revealed. Temporary troubles have been declawed of their power to demoralize.
How is this possible? According to Paul’s testimony, renewal via the internal and the eternal. The Spirit is regularly renewing, at the level of the internal. This renewal trumps the pummeling beat down that the external is experiencing. The Spirit is renewing through the perspective on the eternal. For as bad as it can get in the temporal, the unseen eternal outflanks and outmaneuvers the short term difficulty.
The result of which amounts to an unshakable, resilient heart; which turns the tide and routs the forces arrayed in opposition. That which Paul and his cohort experience, is that which Jesus exemplified; and is that which is evoked in us as we muster on the spiritual battlefield. Their testimony becomes our testimony; and their unbreakable morale becomes ours.
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you ponder on and praise the resilient Overcomer Christ; who not only overcame opposition in His life; but empowers all who are His to do likewise.
- Will you bring before Christ your battered body; your bruised heart? Will you ask for renewal this day; inwardly. Will you ask for perspective which rises above and grasps by faith the eternal? Will you soak in the overcoming Spirit of God?
- Do you know of someone who is losing heart? Will you pray that the Spirit would grip them; and turn the tide in their hearts and lives from the inside out?
This devotional was written by Pastor Martin
04.06.09
“ON THE RIGHT ROAD”
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ON THE RIGHT ROAD
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Matthew 5:10-12 NIV
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
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Psalm 119:156-157 NIV
156 Your compassion is great, O LORD; preserve my life according to your laws.
157 Many are the foes who persecute me, but I have not turned from your statutes.
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Navigating through a complex system of foreign highways is a challenging feat, even with a GPS. It is important to know that you are on the right road. Pastor Earl Palmer used to use that very phrase, i.e. on the right road, to translate the idea of Matthew’s beatitudes. You are on the right road when one hungers and thirsts for righteousness; when they are poor in spirit; when they choose to be meek, etc.
When the terrain becomes difficult to traverse, it is even more important to know that you are on the right road. When others come to accuse, threaten, and persecute for choices made in and for Christ, the temptation is to ask oneself…did I do the right thing? The writer of the book of Hebrews unpacks his whole letter in response to that very situation. Jesus, knowing what it means to walk through persecution, reminds his disciples that this is part of the all inclusive package deal of discipleship.
Those who find the fist of persecution coming their way must run to some kind of refuge. Those who have stood up for Christ in the midst of impending persecution, that refuge is God’s compassion and God’s statutes. For God will not sit idly by; but will comfort and vindicate those step up to affirm His Word and ways.
We who have chosen the road of discipleship will find that the net result of the persecution will amount to rejoicing. But not a flippant celebration, clueless to the circumstances. Rather a tearful praise, knowing the cost of faithfulness to God’s revealed statutes. When we find that we are paying the discipleship cost of persecution, we find that we are on the right road; the very road of our Lord and Savior.
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you praise and rejoice in the amazing humility of Christ? That the Holy One Himself would willingly suffer persecution at the hands wicked men for the sake of God’s word and will? Will you praise God Father for the consummate vindication of His Son and His Word?
- Will you resolve to trek on the right road; even if it means encountering insult and injury for His names’ sake? Will you ask for a strengthened and purified discipleship?
- Will you pray for those who accuse and throw stones at you? Will you ask God to guard your heart from any bitterness or retributive rage? Will you pray for deep comfort and perfect peace?\
This devotional was written by Pastor Martin
04.04.09
“THROUGH FLOOD AND FIRE”
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“THROUGH FLOOD & FIRE”
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Isa 43:1-2
But now, this is what the LORD says–
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
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John 16:33 NIV
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
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Dan 3:24-27 NIV
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”
They replied, “Certainly, O king.” 25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” 26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
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Sometimes, things get worse before they get better. This is especially true when dramatic changes are already in the works; where moving toward a grand future precipitates extensive restructuring.
In the Isaianic passage above, God is readying to bring His people out of exile. Personal and political restructuring is in view, where they were to be prisoners to idolatry and foreign powers no more.
In seeking to prophetically comfort God’s people, he starts with avowals of God’s personal love and commitment to Israel. He declares that the one who created, called, and redeemed Israel is so far on their side, that fear is to be denied.
But rather than following up with promises of future ease , Isaiah guarantees that flood and fire yet lie before them. Given the preposition “when” (and not if), they are repeatedly assured of coming tribulation. Jesus pulls this same “trick”: addressing his shuddering disciples with intentions of transferring peace, followed up with promises of upcoming trouble. If this was all we have, we might be forced to conclude this as a cruel joke; something along the lines of….I love you so much, so I promise you that you are going to suffer.
Yet if we would but wait for the punchline, we would we hear that the one who is greater than death knows how to deliver through. The weight of the promises lie in the active presence of the overcoming God that will not let us drown in the current, or burn in the blaze. Like Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego, Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace lies before us. But the Son of God will miraculously appear at our side. And when we come out, only our bonds will be burned away.
God’s love and advocacy did not promise a deliverance from trial and threat; rather through to dramatic resurrection.
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you present yourself before the Victorious Overcomer, who has overcome suffering and death…through cross, grave, to resurrection. Will you bow before, and adore the Son of God who has already overcome the world!
- Will you imagine yourself as one of Daniel’s close friends, bound and facing the consuming furnace. You have a choice, renounce your God for safety, or face the flames. What do you have to combat the shuddering fear? Now fast forward: having come out, take inventory of your hair…smell your clothes. Look where the cords of death had formerly wrapped your arms. Whom do you have to thank?
- Now will you face the flood and fire of circumstances in your life today? Will you actively call upon the Spirit of God’s Son to expunge fear with peace? Will you surrender yourself to the God who promises walk with you through to the other side? Will you pray for others who also need to hear the punchline?
NOTE: this devotional was written by Pastor Martin; but first distributed on Dec. 19,2008, now reprised.
04.03.09
“HYPERBOLIC FORGIVENESS”
HYPERBOLIC FORGIVENESS
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Matthew 18:21-22 NIV
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
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Luke 17:3-5 NIV
3 So watch yourselves. “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.
4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
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It is oft said that to sin is human; to forgive is divine. There is some truth in that sin and the painful consequences of sin are so endemic to human concourse. Carried within the spiritual DNA of a person, it is seemingly transmitted in every touch; like the oil on one’s finger which leaves fingerprints of sin. Sin is a direct function of our broken humanity. And yet to forgive is divine. Divine as in somehow transcendent beyond to the gravitational pull of sin. True forgiveness is not sourced in mere human ability. For when pushed to the limits of true love, human ability to truly forgive falls short.
Jesus makes sure His disciples understand how high and above true God empowered forgiveness is. He uses hyperbolic language to demonstrate how futile human forgiveness is; and how true forgiveness means tapping the transcendent source. Peter comes to Jesus, chest swelling with spiritual pride. “How many times shall I forgive, up to even seven times” He asks. Two and a third more than the limit that even the highly righteous Pharisee would declare, Peter has outstripped the limits of even those highly spiritual leaders. What a shock it must have been to have Jesus blow his ignorant pride out of the water. Not seven times, but seventy time seven.
That same message, put in another context was when he tells his disciples, if your brother sins against you seven times in the same day; but asks for forgiveness each time; forgiveness is to be given without condition.
Having heard this, the apostles immediately cry out in a prayer, “Increase our faith!” Given the absurdity of difficulty level; this is not something human ingenuity can achieve. It is hyperbolic language to describe a genuine truth; this is what forgiveness begins to look like. True forgiveness, which flows from God. Such dramatic forgiveness do we encounter in Christ, that in comparison to that which we are called to forgive…even a trickle of the overflow of God’s mercy and compassion will not fail to empower deep forgiveness. Is it not the Lord’s intention; to blanket the many transgressions of the world with hyperbolic forgiveness? Is it not within our purview to overflow this kind of forgiveness as we tap into His transcendent love?
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you not praise and worship God who has washed every stain with hyperbolic forgiveness?
- Will you listen for God’s prompting in asking for forgiveness today? Not only from God Himself, but from others? Will you put your weight on God’s seventy times seven level of forgiveness?
- Will you think of those who have hurt and marked you with their sinful touch? Will you ask for an increase in faith commensurate with a disciple of the Lord Jesus? Is there anyone specific you need to forgive?
This devotion was written by Pastor Martin
04.02.09
“SIMPLE TRUST”
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SIMPLE TRUST
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Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
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John 14:1 NIV
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.”
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How many times have we heard the line, “Just trust me.” Enough to devalue the stock of the phrase, and anyone who would choose to flippantly forward it.
But there is no substitute in our response to God and Kingdom; trust is absolutely essential. Trust for atonement and salvation; provision and care. Ultimately, there is no way around this simple command: Trust Me…praise God!
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you love and adore the Faithful and Trustworhy one; worthy of all honor and praise; He is never careless; and his timing is per on the short verses above.
- Will you take time to meditate on one or both of the scriptures above? What is God revealing to you as you look and seek with spiritual eyes?
- Where might God be asking you to suspend your judgment; so that you can take on the simple posture of trust?
This devotional written by Pastor Martin
04.01.09
“MYSTERY & CONFIDENCE”
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MYSTERY & CONFIDENCE
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Romans 5:6-10 NIV
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!
10 For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
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1Corinthians 11:23-26 NIV
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,
24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
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For fans of the mystery genre, a great story is one which unfolds with a shocking twist. With all the components of the plot seemingly heading in one direction, arriving at a dramatically unforeseen outcome begs the reader to look more carefully at the clues embedded in the story.
In some ways, the gospel is a mystery story. At first blush, all the clues would prerequisite our indictment; all the evidence demand a guilty verdict and death sentence. For treason and bald betrayal reasonably deserves draconian justice.
But the gospel is a great story, a great mystery. For who could have expected mercy to triumph over judgment; grace to be stronger than sin? Who could have expected the story to include the righteous God-man to take upon the sin of world on Himself? Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man; but it is not beyond the realm of possibility. But who would die for a convicted mass murderer? Who would shed innocent blood for a convicted terrorist? In what universe would the King of Kings give himself up to purchase the redemption of the very ones slaying him on a cross? Such is the mystery of grace; the shocking twist of the gospel.
Paul argues that this mystery revealed should evoke a bold confidence. For if this is what God has done; demonstrated His reconciling and redeeming love to us prevenient to even our acknowledgement, then how will he not surely bring us through to the finish line? How will he not save us in full; body, soul, and spirit?
Do we not celebrate both this mystery and this confidence every time we practice communion? We remember that on the very night he was betrayed, Jesus sat at a table with his beloved disciples. He made a new covenant with them; inviting them to dip their bread in his cup as a sign of intimate friendship and unyielding commitment. He does this knowing that in a few hours, one would sell him out for thirty pieces of silver. That the bravest of them, the ring leader Peter, would deny him three times. On the night he was betrayed, Jesus preveniently covenants in body and blood; His body, His blood. As we ponder upon and celebrate this mystery, this Savior; a bold confidence emerges. One which empowers confident proclamation, until He returns.
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you respond to the God who spent His son for you; while you were powerless, a sinner, and enemy. Will you express thanks to Him for reason defying grace; that retributive justice has been completely satisfied; your penalty has been paid in full by Christ on the cross?
- Will you take time to soak in His presence and any communication He would lavish upon you? As you commune with Him, will you recovenant in His body and His blood? Will you give your body and your day to Him in faithfulness and obedient love?
- Will you ask for a bold confidence; to proclaim of the mystery of the gospel; by your character and choices…using words only if you have to?
This devotion was written by Pastor Martin
