THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION

Based on Ephesians 1:15-23

How can I know God? Truly know Him. There is so much to take in. He is eternal and in Him are continual depths of discovery.

How can a finite being have the capacity to even perceive Him?

Jesus, how amazing you are. You are the way the truth and the life (John 14:6). Only through You can we be touched by the grace of God. This grace that opens your heavenly kingdom to us. You are the catalyst that fills our souls with eternity, allowing us to see God Almighty. In You we can step forward to a kingdom that is so much greater than where we are now. You are the enlightened hope that calls us into the glorious inheritance of the eternal God- creator of Heaven and earth. In You we can step into a realm like no other- the holy realm of YOU.

You have touched us with the incomparable power of God’s mighty strength. A strength that began all things and continues to move Your great purpose to Your chief end. Even as sin and death would taint and destroy all of creation, Your power cuts through with triumphant victory. The most significant display of wonder and awe is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Aside from speaking creation into existence; You restored that very creation that had been dashed to pieces. Destroyed, corrupted and poisoned by sin. The greatest treason and rebellion against You. You restored it from the abysmal depths and brought it back to life. How beautiful it is to see new life- new life in the spring time, in newborn babies, in budding relationships. The thriving and flourishing. But how much more when there is a backdrop of extreme contrast. The glorious redemption and renewal that emerges from the stench and horrors of death. With out Christ we are just that. Lost, dead and horrific in our sin. But in Him our foul decay is forever cleansed and transformed into eternity. We are renewed and in greater glory and beauty than ever before.

Jesus is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25). As He died, He took on the full agony and suffering of sin like no other person could. A righteous sinless divine “being” stepped into the flesh of humanity. He maintained perfect holiness even in the limitations of a “created” form. What a marvel that God who has existed in all time debased Himself as He became our sin. The potter becoming the clay. The clay in perfected form sullied by the wickedness of humanity while hanging on the cross. There He would endure the scorn and shame of sin- our sin, EVERY sin! Tasting the full wrath of God. The bitter cup that would destroy us. And now, the power of all powers- THE RESURRECTION. Our Savior rose and declared victory over sin.

As He said on the cross “It is finished”. John 19:30

As the angel proclaimed three days later “Why do you look for the living among the dead. He is not here. He is risen.” Luke 24:5-6

As Jesus told His disciples “Peace be with you”. John 20:19

This resurrection power is the power that recreates all that has been tainted by sin. Humanity and creation. What a power. A power that cuts through all time and will be fully seen at His return. A power that authenticates Him as LORD of LORDS, KING of KINGS and to whom every knee will bow down. This is our Savior. This is our LORD and in Him, the saints have this very power surging through them.

Thanksgiving Sentiments….

The nostalgia of Thanksgiving brings us warmth and family. As we look forward to this meal we anticipate seeing our loved ones and spending time around a full spread of delicious savory food. The laughter and stories shared bring the togetherness of friends and family. A special day where we can avert our attention towards blessing and gratefulness. A day when we can recalibrate our perspective away from worries and woes and onto each other. We feast on the best of the best. Rich foods that will fill our bellies and satisfy our taste. We celebrate this way on a dedicated day every year.

Yet I’ve discovered an even more anticipated feast today, as I read in Isaiah 25:6-9.

“On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

This is the feast of feasts. One where we celebrate the earth shattering impact of an undeniable love from God to receive His children. A heroic love to save those bound for death and destruction. A revealing love that opens our blind, callous eyes towards a life more full and rich than this earth could ever offer. A compassionate love that dries our tears, holds our hearts and gives us a steady hope to anchor ourselves. This is a feast waiting for all the children of God. To be invited to this remarkable feast all one needs to do is fully receive Christ as their Savior and Lord. Savior means He has done the furthest extent of what is required to absolve every person’s sin, accepting them into His own family. His Lordship means we need to repent of our sins, follow Christ through His word, relying on His power and strength to carry us onward. Happy Thanksgiving!

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My Shepherd’s Sound

John 10

This passage reflects on one of my favorite understandings of Christ’s role in my life- the Good Shepherd.

In it Jesus speaks to the hostile Jews, who refuse to see who He is and are set on attacking Him. In Jesus’ explanation, He uses an allegory to paint out a portrait of Himself. Not only does He describe His nature, but He also reveals the other players involved- the sheep, the thief and watchmen.

JESUS, THE GOOD SHEPHERD

What does a good shepherd do?  Why does Jesus relate to this specific title?  In our own day and age shepherding is not a common role.   Yet in that time it was. Shepherding was actually a lowly position.  A caretaker of sheep.  But in this lowly position comes a nurturing, protective closeness between the shepherd and his flock.  The shepherd lived with his flock.  He tended to their every need.  It wasn’t a part time responsibility.  It became a daily life investing role.  And maybe that is why it was lowly.  It is about completely pouring yourself into another. No glory or gain for yourself.  Just the care of the sheep.  I imagine in God’s own kingdom that position is one of great honor and glory.  And of course it is, because Jesus who is the “Shepherd” is glorified above all.

Matthew 18:4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position ……. is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Philippians 2:9 Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name.

So, lets learn about the ways of our Shepherd.  Jesus emphasizes on a number of accounts the beautiful relationship He has with His sheep.

His sheep follow Him because they know His voice.  But they never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.  John 10:4-5

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know my Father.  John 10:14

These passages speak to the intimacy the sheep has with their shepherd. They are so close to Him that they know His presence, His voice, His tending over them.  They are familiar with their shepherd as Christ Himself is with His Own Father. There is no relationship known in all of creation that can compare to that of Christ and God, His Father.  And here we see Jesus telling us that His shepherding reaches that level of intimacy.  We see in this very meek position a breakthrough into the divine.

How can one be a part of this?  How can we jump from our place here on earth- our pain, our difficulty, our struggle- to the safety among the flock of Christ? This also had to be done by the shepherd.  The shepherd does the work to care, provide and oversee all those who belong to Him.  Jesus speaks about what He did to bring the sheep under His care.

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.  He will come in and go out and find pasture…… I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.  John 10:9-10

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.  John 10:11;14

The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life- only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.  I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.  John 10:17-18

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.  John 10:28-30

Only through that pivotal day, when our shepherd changed all of heaven and earth, can His sheep find Him.  His body on the cross- bearing our sin, taking on the wrath of God -is the only entrance for His flock.  The shed blood of Christ, dead and buried along with His resurrected life is the gate for us to enter.  And any sheep who comes to Him there, steps past their own death and all of the dissatisfactions of life, into eternal abundant living.  I stand amazed at the wonder of the cross, as the old hymn says. Once saved, I knew I had new life.  There was no question. But this journey of new life, as His own lamb, continues to open up more and more.  When I feel as though I have reached the height of His goodness, He draws me in deeper and shows me His goodness is truly unending.  This depth of His love, His care, His wisdom, Himself is supernatural.  The wonders of this earth pale in comparison to the great wonders of Christ.  And only His sheep would know.

FOLLOWING OF THE SHEPHERD

So, once you are apart of the flock, the journey described above begins. In my own journey I have learned the familiarity of my Savior’s voice, my Shepherd’s Sound.  And the sheep of Christ, filled with His Own Spirit, can either plunge in to His leading or meander around.  In my 20 years of following and meandering I have developed that known sound in my “ear”.  His sound comes from all that we invest in reading and memorizing His word, praying unceasingly, spending time with other believers, worshiping Him routinely, fasting and seeking Him like hidden treasure.  When you take the time to build up into a lifestyle of this, you will surely know the familiarity of His voice.  It comes not in spots and touches of doing this, but building up daily- over seasons and time.  It is when the sheep come towards the shepherd seeking His presence in every possible moment- The times of danger, the times of joy, the times of rest, the times of hunger, the times of hurt, times of discipline, the regular times… LIFETIMES.  And at this point in my life, Jesus as my Shepherd, is the one of most reassuring forms of Him that I’ve experienced.  I love my Shepherd and His familiar voice is so sweet to me.  When I hear it clearly, how I cannot follow?   I know wherever He takes me will be good.  I have no doubts when I see my shepherd.  I could write on and on about this. Especially with bringing in the famous Psalm 23. But I just encourage you to find out for yourself.  Read that Psalm and meet your Shepherd.

The shepherd calls His sheep by name and leads them. When He has brought out all His own, He goes on ahead of them, and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice.  John 10:3

THE THIEF AND THE WATCHMEN

Earlier I mentioned the other characters Jesus describes- the thief and the watchmen. Jesus mentions that His sheep will not follow a stranger because they don’t recognize the voice.  Jesus is speaking of His sheep that are very intimately close to Him. If you are a sheep who is meandering, you’re not near your shepherd.  You’re not allowing yourself to build up that intimacy and closeness to His sound.  There are threats and danger to the abundant goodness I described earlier.  If you are not cultivating that closeness to your shepherd and His voice in the ways described above, other sounds will capture your attention.  Those sounds will lead you away from Christ into confusion, doubt, strongholds and lies.  Either the thief, who is out there to kill, rob and destroy will dissuade you with a false voice.  Or the watchmen who cares nothing for you, will run away and leave you out for the wolves. The sounds of these imposters are in the world, the culture, the things contrary to scripture. It also disguises itself with in our own hearts as open unattended wounds that warp our thinking in bitter ways.  Also it masks itself as pleasure, convenience, laziness, selfishness, pride, jealousy or envy- what the Bible would call “things of the flesh”. We need to look heavily onto our shepherd’s voice and guard our hearts, mind and ears from any other sound.

Sight Restored and Blindness Exposed

John 9

In this Chapter we see Jesus perform a controversial miracle that heals and reveals blindness.  It starts off as a point of conversation between Him and His disciples.

As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth.  His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned”, said Jesus, “but this happened so the work of God might be displayed in his life.” John 9:1-3

Even before the healing there are blind assumptions going around. Assumptions bearing a reason for the handicap, a reason for the misfortune. Human nature has us trying to conclude and make sense of everything we see or come across.  A judgement and rationale of the “why”.  But really life, sin and misfortune carry complications beyond our sight.  Only God Himself sees things as they are with a full spectrum of understanding.  There are too many injustices, disease and handicaps that we are all riddled with and unable to see with full clarity.  We ourselves are scathed with sin, the worst disease of all.  And in our own calculations we make judgements with flawed understanding.

This is not too discount our ability to make judgements or assessments at all.  I don’t think we can escape it.  To live and not determine a basis of right or wrong, a standard and expectation of reasonable conduct, would be impossible.  Everyone weather they realize it or not, is making a judgement in one way or another. One stance always goes against another.  So, we live in a world where we all have a point of view that we function in and hold over others.  How messy that is?  Who is more right, who has the most accurate perception, who knows the answers to life’s hard questions?  This conundrum we find ourselves in, points to the obvious need for us to seek God.  We need His perfect, Holy, overarching understanding of life’s unanswerable questions.  HE IS WISDOM and He shares that wisdom in His word.  (Proverbs 8).

And so, Jesus’ answer brings in a whole other realm of truth the disciples were unable to consider.  Hardship in life is not always punishment, it can be the blessing of God.  God can use our suffering to magnify His glory. To demonstrate His power displayed in the life of that person.  Would we have ever concluded this in our own rationale? We with our prejudices and judgments?  The worst judgement we must be wary of; is that God doesn’t exist or that He’s not good because of the evil around us.  In that, our own blindness can hide the greatest, most precious vision there is to behold.  That of a God who loves us with more power and intensity than any love that could be found on this earth.

Romans 8: 38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

After that discussion, Jesus meets this blind man and heals him on the Sabbath.  The Sabbath is a sacred day where no work was to be performed under Jewish law.  God Himself instituted the Sabbath to be a day of rest and reliance on His provisions. Yet the Jewish authorities reconstructed it to be an oppressive set of rules to measure pious appearances.  Already irritated with Jesus’ ministry, this act of healing enraged them.  And so, they start an inquisition involving the blind man, the neighbors, the spectators and the blind man’s parents.  They harass and badger this man with questions even as he openly shares every detail of the healing.

Here we see “man’s” judgements (in the Jewish teachers) wanting to contest and challenge this act of God.  There was healing and freedom, but that is not good enough for the Pharisees.  They continue to press their logic, wanting to uphold their pride.  That is what we humans do.  We can disguise it with noble attempts of piety or a stubborn anger.  But ultimately if we are left in our sin, we fight against God. We hold on to our pride, unwilling to surrender to His freedom and healing, because we just can’t see. The blind man was healed and saw with new vision. Once he allowed himself to do that, he could see Christ and receive more than new vision. He receives eternal life.

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

“Who is he sir?” the man asked, “tell me so that I may believe in him.”

Jesus said, “You have now seen Him, in fact, He is the one speaking with you.”

Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped Him.  John 9:35-38

Jesus said, “For judgement I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

Towards the end of the chapter Jesus then addresses the Pharisees:

Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim to see; your guilt remains.  John 9:41

So where do you find yourself?  Are you fighting against God because of your set of rules, your system of logic?  Are you fighting against His healing and the new life He offers, because you’re angry at Him?  If that is the case do you feel like those thoughts, feelings, or the logic is your end all? Is it enough for you to stake your life on?  Is it supreme against what God says and what He offers? Or could it possibly be that there is more to see and consider? If it’s not, are you willing to see? Are you willing to ask God to open your vision as He did the blind man so that you can understand what He wants to give you?  I remember blindness and it can be convincingly real.  But if you have any curiosity or an unsettled disposition; Christ has a very rich, secure place for you that is filled with great hope and truly is NEW LIFE.  Ask Him to show you and He will.

I Know Where I Come from and Where I am Going

John 8

As I read through this chapter, looking into the dialogue Jesus had with the argumentative crowd, His words popped at me with curiosity and intrigue.  We find Jesus validating and testifying who He is. And He brings it down to a simple point-

My testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going.    John 8:14

It all starts as Jesus carries a divine message to prepare hearts, that they may receive and understand who He is and what He’s all about.

I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.  The Pharisees challenged Him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.” John 8: 12-13

And so now we see a group of people singularly focused on disqualifying Christ’s words and position. Most of this chapter continues as a back and forth between Jesus and the crowd.  Each time the combatants are locked and loaded with a retort to aim at Jesus. Sadly, they are so intent in formulating their countering responses, they are unable to truly hear the powerful words of Christ.

As Jesus responds to these men He narrows down His credibility to one thing- He has been sent by His Father.  He doesn’t branch off towards another angle.  He persistently speaks of this submissive position only focused on doing His Father’s will.  He doesn’t make claims about Himself for His own autonomy but is entrenched in the fact that His identity and purpose is through His Father.  Jesus Himself is God Himself- the triune mystery beyond earthly understanding.  In that He could have spoken with a more direct position of divine authority. But His response to every attack from the Pharisees is layered with phrases based on His relationship with His Father:

But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.  John 8:16

I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father who sent me.  John 8:18

“You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” John 8:19

I have much to say in judgement of you.  But He who sent me is trustworthy and what I have heard from Him I tell the world.  John 8:26

When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.  The one who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.  John 8:28-29

I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence….  John 8:38

If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here.  I have not come on my own; but He sent me. John 8:42

What an example this is for us.  It struck me how Jesus shared about Himself with great confidence and poise.  He didn’t engage in the petty arguing. He maintained his focus and message in the fact that “He knew where He came from and He knows where He is going.” He stood firmly on that and that is the very basis He used to authenticate Himself.  I know in the past, when it comes to sharing about Jesus, I have been intimidated as I try to be the one carrying the logic and disposition of the message.  I put it on myself to try to convince others who Jesus is.  Here we have Jesus sharing about Himself and His gospel message with just one main emphasis- His Father sent Him to share and fulfill this reality.  He didn’t speak in ways to try to sell it, He spoke candidly and with focus.  His focus was simply to do God’s will.

For me this Chapter portrays a simple message that I find myself so easily deterred from.  Weather I am sharing about Jesus to others or just trying to live life, I find that often I end up getting lost within myself.  Jesus spoke, lived and fulfilled God’s will based on the connection He had with His Father.  Even though He Himself is God, He functioned in a capacity of submission and surrender.  Jesus obeyed His Father perfectly as He sought time with Him in prayer.  He spent time with His Father, listening and filling Himself up with His presence.  From that Jesus was able to speak words of impact, perform the necessary miracles and ultimately carry the sins of the world as He bled every drop of His life for each of us.

I realize that this is Jesus who I’m talking about.  How can we compare ourselves to Him?  How can I expect myself to do the things He has done?  He is God. He’s our Savior. He’s the hero. But in the beauty of God’s own word, it speaks about Jesus doing these very things in order to bring us into all of this.  When we accept Christ as our Savior we attain His very own Spirit. His own mind.  We too become children of God with the same intimate connection and access that Christ Himself has with Him.  If we have all this, then Christ becomes the example that we can strive for.  We too need to speak, live and function on the basis of knowing “where we come from and where we are going”.  How vital it is that I keep myself reigned in on my identity and purpose in Christ.  I have been born from Him and I have a secure home ahead with Him.  So how am I living my life here on earth, surrendered and focused on that calling.  If I am centered on who I am in Christ and where my true home is, I imagine worries and fears will fade.  I imagine that my outlook in the day to day would change.  My desires, my agendas and my courage would be recalibrated towards God’s will.

So, Lord while I live here on earth, I know that the pulls of my selfishness, my pride and my sin will war with your calling on me.  I pray that you keep me.  You are stronger than all that.  I pray that you would keep me in check and help me to stay between the pillars of knowing “where I have come from and where I am going”.  I know that if I can stay within those two parameters, I will be grounded in your will as Jesus was and that will authenticate your own work in and through me.