November 1 - Finished!

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:30 ESV)

When I was younger I was really bad about starting something and never finishing it. These days I try to sing a different tune, and seeing something through to completion is a great joy. I can really only speculate at the sheer amount of joy Jesus must have felt at knowing he had finished his work.

Jesus stepped across time and spice, wrapping himself in humanity, and set out on a lifelong quest to mend the broken bond between God and man. He taught. He travelled. He preached. He healed. He also hurt. He bled. And he died.

Jesus drew his last breathe knowing that the work of the Father was accomplished. Mankind would be restored to the Kingdom of Heaven for anyone who wished to be a part of it. The hard part was over. It was finished.

October 31 - Midnight at Noon

Luke 23:44-49

It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. (Luke 23:44, 45 ESV)

Supernatural events surrounded Jesus' crucifixion. It was the day that Hell leveraged all it had to do all it could, and failed. Jesus could, and would be killed, but he would not be stopped. He would not stay dead. His life would be the catalyst for the hope of humanity and his death would be the event that would change human destiny forever.

Darkness covered Jerusalem that day. The huge curtain that separated the priests from God fell into two pieces. Dead people left their tombs and wandered the area. It was a significant day.

Evil things were meant for mankind. Satan's schemes had reached their apex. Jesus would die. But the apparent victory was actually defeat.

The Father had always known the Son would need to die for humanity. He had ordained it since before the foundations of the earth. He had whispered it into the hearts of prophets for thousands of years.

The light of the world hung upon a cross, and the world went dark. Earthquakes happened. People believed. And people have never stopped believing.

October 30 - Forsaken

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46 ESV)

Have you ever felt forsaken? Perhaps you have. It's that wretched feeling you get when someone you have absolute trust in has abandoned you. But being forsaken is more than just a feeling of abandonment. It is an action. It is being walked away from. It is having someone turn their back on you in a moment of absolute need.

Jesus needed God the Father for instruction, encouragement, and support. But just in the moment when Jesus' need was greatest God was out of his reach. It sounds absolutely horrible doesn't it? If that were how the story ended it truly would be horrible.

You see, Jesus became the recipient of all human sin, for every person for all of history—past, present, and future. He accepted all of it onto himself. And then he placed himself between us and God the Father. Being a perfect man, in perfect communion with God, he was accustomed to a direct line of communication with God. However, sin interrupted that. Our sin.

As Jesus took the sin of the world, he isolated himself from the glory of God Almighty. God did not forsake Jesus out of anger, malice, or disgust. And he doesn't turn his back on you or I when we find ourselves making poor decisions. No, God forsook the sin that Christ had recieved—sin which exacted its price upon the Son of God. Jesus was momentarily forsaken, but he was not forgotten. Today, the children of God stand in a place made ready by the sacrifice of Christ. A place where Scripture declares that we are neither forsaken nor forgotten.

October 15 - Crown of Thorns

Mark 15:16-20

And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. (Mark 15:17 ESV) </blockquote>

Shortly after my third birthday I was playing in the front yard of the small house my parents rented. As I pushed this small toy truck along at a three-year-old's pace I ran straight through a large rose bush. To this day I still bare the scar on my arm from the deep cut. Because thorns hurt. They cut. And they cut deep.

Christ's cruel tormentors took sadistic pleasure in fashioning their instrument of agony out of thorns and thrusting it upon his brow. I can only truly imagine how horrible it must have been as the sharp points gouged his skin and scraped along the thin covering of the human skull.

Though he was crowned in mockery and brutality—Jesus was a king. Jesus is a King. He is The King. And in him, you and I find adoption into royalty. We find a calling away that lifts us above our own inadequacies, insecurities, and frailties. Jesus bore that crown of thorns so that we might wear a crown of peace.

October 14 - Scarlet Robes

Matthew 27: 27-31

And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, (Matthew 27:28 ESV)

Have you ever been horribly embarrassed by something? Have you ever felt like all of your problems or insecurities were put on display by someone else? Those kinds of situations can be both heart breaking and deeply shameful.

Jesus was perfectly sinless. He had nothing to hide, no skeletons in his closet, and yet his persecutors still attempted to shame him. They plucked his beard, which was a cultural sign of masculinity. They mocked, beat, and disrobed him—replacing his clothes with garments meant to mock his royalty. They were out to not only kill him, but they were trying to destroy his image.

Jesus claim to divinity reaches across history as unique. Not because he is the only man to ever claim to be God, but because he is the only man ever to actually be God. To those trying to kill him and undermine his message, it won't be done. Try as you might to wrap him in scarlet robes, and parade him through a gauntlet of brutality and cruelty—Jesus is the Son of God. He is God-with-us. Any attempt to mock his royalty only serves to illuminate it.

October 13 - He Has Borne

Isaiah 53:4-6, Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:4-6 ESV)

Scourging was a horribly grotesque punishment. It was so barbaric and brutal that many actually died as a result. Yet Jesus endured.

Just as the prophet Isaiah foretold nearly three millennia ago, Jesus was harmed beyond human recognition. I find it comforting to know that as difficult as life may sometimes be, it is not outside of the reach of the comfort of Christ. He was our substitution. He was our replacement.

He has borne our sorrows, anguish, and calamities. He knows the depths of our troubled souls. He has entered into the pit of Hell and returned victorious—brandishing eternal life and salvation for all who would enter his tender care.

October 12 - Insurrection & Murder

Luke 23:18-25

He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will. (Luke 23:25 ESV)

Barabbas was a known murderer. He had led an attempt at a full blown uprising. Usually that type of activity was met with swift and brutal retribution in the Roman world. However, for some reason Barabbas had been left on prison to rot. When it would have came time for him to have faced justice, Jesus was there to take his place.

Jesus took his place! Barabbas deserved justice. He deserved the full extent of the law, but he didn't face it because Jesus took his punishment.

You and I face our own punishment. We have sinned, we deserve an end that often reflects a lifetime of selfishness and immorality. But Jesus didn't die for your morality. He died to make you family. Why? Because he is more interested in the criminal than the crime. He took the place of a murder.

Regardless of background, moral slant, and failures—Jesus stands in for you. Barabbas' freedom was purchased by the death of Christ. So is ours.

August 31 - Jesus the Way

John 14:1-14

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 ESV)

We live in a time when people proclaim that there are many paths to heaven. For some people the only acceptable explanation of death and the after life is one that is an all inclusive possibility. Based on his own words, it is impossible to follow the teachings of Jesus to the fullest human degree possible and not discount the idea of an all-paths-lead-to-heaven belief system.

Jesus boldly and plainly declared that he was the only way to heaven. Why? Because he is the path to God. He is the connection point. He is the intermediary, the advocate, the sacrifice, and the King. We are coheirs with Christ only because he was first an heir of all that God has in store for us.

There is no secret spell. No hidden agenda. No duplicitous schemes in the story of Jesus. He lived perfect. He died meaningfully. He rose again assuredly. For you, and for me. That he might be the way, the truth, and the life for all that would seek after a way to the Father.

August 24 - Drink of It

Matthew:26-17-29

And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you..." (Matthew 26:27 ESV)

During his final meal with all of the disciples Jesus instituted what has since come to be known as Communion. It is observed as a way to remember the sacrifice that Christ made. He said a prayer of thanksgiving, and then passed the cup of wine for his followers to drink.

Jesus wanted them to drink from the cup. Why? A room full of people sharing a cup sounds kind of gross to our way of thinking. But the significance behind the act goes far beyond hygiene or etiquette. The cup he was passing was a symbolic reference to the blood he was about to shed in sacrifice. He was installing the idea that it is only by his blood that salvation comes.

Jesus' blood is the catalyst for our salvation. It is because of his sacrificial death that we have the opportunity to experience renewed life with God. It is only ours when we drink from the cup he offers, not a literal cup, but an offering of life, death, and resurrection into life.

July 30 - Whoever Hates Life

John 12:20-33

Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (John 12:25 ESV)

We hoard. We gather. We save. We are trained, and intrinsically inclined, to get as much as we can of something we deem valuable and keep it close to us. So, when we fall into that age old pit of aggressively embellishing our own self-worth it becomes second nature to want to maintain our comfortable status quo, reduce any risk, and seek after people and pleasures that reinforce our false self-opinion.

Jesus set a different standard and humanity has spent the last two-thousand years missing the mark. I constantly miss it. It is hard for someone like me. The problem? I like myself too much. Because a lot of the time I think I am much more awesome than I actually am.

Don't get me wrong, I definitely believe that we all have value, we all have worth, and we are all of us deeply loved by God. But the problem is that sometimes we love ourselves in all of the wrong ways. We love ourselves, but not enough to embrace truth. We love ourselves, but not enough to put God first. We love ourselves, but not enough to make the hard choices, even when they will be the better choices.

I am not one that thinks Jesus is looking to martyr every believer, but I do believe that every believer has to be willing to measure the potential cost of following Jesus. You can not live the fully devoted Christian life and love yourself more than you love your Savior. If and when you find yourself in that dangerous place you have become your own savior, and a poor one at that. Love life. Love it enough to hate it.

July 25 - Jesus' Reputation

John 12:12-19

The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.” (John 12:18, 19 ESV)

For about three years Jesus had travelled the countryside. He was preaching, performing miracles, and turning the people toward the truth of the Kingdom of God. The sick, demoniacs, outcasts, crippled, and even the dead—all kinds of people were dramatically impacted forever by the ministry of Jesus. As he made his way to Jerusalem, the final destination of his public ministry, his reputation preceded him.

The religious elite didn't know what to do with him. He operated from an authority they refused to acknowledge, and failed to comprehend. He performed miracles that both baffled and humbled them. Their pride, their wallets, and their power were in trouble.

The reputation of Jesus still precedes him. To the hurting, the outcast, and the needy Jesus is still the answer. Those who hear and comprehend the full measure of his work are irrevocably changed by it. There is no going back. Jesus' impact on lives initiates a passionate focus for the Kingdom of God that religion cannot contain, mankind cannot fathom, and the forces of hell cannot deter.

It is the reputation of God who became a man by virgin birth. A lowly carpenter who became an authoritative teacher and preacher. A perfectly holy life lived in selflessness. A man who was crucified for the sins of others. A death that was temporary. A resurrection that was real. A reign that is eternal. Jesus' reputation is reputable, it is rare, it is reality. And it will change your life if you let it.

July 24 - If These Were Silent

Luke 19:29-40

He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” (Luke 19:40 ESV)

What if you didn't worship God? According to Jesus, in the absence of worshippers, the rocks would take up the cry to declare the glorious mighty deeds of God. But maybe he said that because they already do.

Do I believe that God could cause the stones to literally develop singing voices and begin to join together in melodic praise? Yes. But I don't think Jesus was referring to that. In both the Psalms and in some of the Apostle Paul's writings we can read references to creation itself praising God. Why?

I believe that creation itself was an act of worship. God made everything, and in its existence alone it worships him. No, not with song, but by being what it was made for.

You see, worship isn't a melody, a tune, or a predetermined allotment of time in a church service. Worship is our response to God. It is our recognition of Him as creator. It is our existence striving to achieve its fullest potential. That's part of what makes forgiveness and repentance so special. They are both acts that undermine the sinful human condition and push us back into right standing with the Father, which of course is the only place where we may actually realize our fullest potential.

July 21 - How Many Do You Have?

Matthew 15: 21-39

And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” (Matthew 15:34 ESV)

My son has just started trying to count things. He does it in the cutest little tone. It is just what you would expect from a toddler. The whimsical . . . One . . . the rising action of . . . Two . . . and the excited high pitch of the climactic . . . Threeeeeee!

When Jesus was teaching near the Sea of Galilee and a large crowd had followed him for several days he wanted to feed them. Knowing that they were under provisioned for the trip back to their homes and villages Jesus brought the disciples an opportunity to assist in a miracle that would provide for the people. He asked them how much food they had. They gathered their meager supply, turned it over to Jesus, and he performed the miraculous. All of the people present were fed, and then leftover food was gathered.

I am utterly convinced that God is on the lookout for an occasion to break into our lives and the lives of the people around us in a big way. I believe that he longs to partner with us to see it happen. Not so we can get any of the glory, but so that we can understand and celebrate the results of the miraculous.

However, if we are to be a part of what God is doing it means we will need to take inventory of our lives. We will need to see what is there, what do we love too much, what are we willing to part ways with, and what are willing to offer up for His service. As we identify that which God would use for His glorious purpose we will understand that same kind of whimsical joy-filled elation as a toddler learning to count for the first time.

July 9 - Give and Serve

Mark 10:35-45

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45 ESV)

Jesus emphatically and repeatedly declared that the disciples were to serve God by serving the people. It was the climax of his teaching after chastising the sons of Zebedee for their misplaced enthusiasm. They were to serve by giving and give by serving.

Our charge today is the same. As harbingers of the Gospel we are to take the message of the good news of Jesus Christ to e lost, hurts marginalized, and destitute. We are to take it to everyone. We are to give it to them by serving them.

Too often Christians polarize around the implied possibility of potential Christian martyrdom. Either we embrace, seek, and expect to give our lives to Christ, or we shy away from any form of reverent selfless sacrifice. What if the example demonstrate by Christ was his attempt to teach that we are to find a balance in both?

Jesus wished to serve, and his service was culminated in giving his life. But his work did not end there. In fact, his ultimate sacrifice was really just the launching point for two millennia of building. He gave to serve. He served to give.

What are we doing?

June 24 - He Will Rise

Read: Mark 10:32-34

And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise." (Mark 10:34 ESV)

Jesus knew what was to come. He spent three impactful years pouring into his disciples because of what was coming. He repeated the events to come to them multiple times, preparing their hearts and minds for the hardship. They were often confused when he spoke of his tribulations to come. They didn't comprehend the shifting that would take place when they would become the stewards of Christianity within the world.

Jesus did not hold back. He gave them the details of what was to be done to them. "They will mock," he said—and they did. They mocked him, and his disciples after him. Many today are still being mocked for being a disciple of Jesus. "They will spit," he said. Christianity has been the brunt of shameful displays of willful disrespect. "They will flog," he warned. Beatings have echoed across the centuries as people joined with their Savior in a willingness to endure beatings for the sake of the Gospel. "They will kill," he declared, and so they did, and so they have, and so they will. Wherever and whenever the uncompromised message of Jesus is spread people will die for it.

"He will rise," Jesus promised. Because men may kill one another, they may hate the message and end the messenger, they may reject the truth—they may even dare to kill God, but He will rise. That was the fulfilled promise of Christ. It was fulfilled for him, by him, and through him on the third day. It will be fulfilled in all who have laid down their lives in pursuit of him, they will rise after him.

June 23 - They Did Not Understand

Read: Mark 9:30-32

But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him. (Mark 9:32 ESV)

Jesus had just been transfigured before the eyes of his inner circle of disciples. For the second time he wanted them of his impending murder at the hands of the religious establishment. They could not understand what he was trying to say, and they were too afraid to ask for clarification.

What part do you think presented the most difficulty for them? Was it the bit the about resurrection? After all, no one had really heard of that before. In any case, the notion of Jesus being killed was very difficult for the disciples to comprehend.

I know that in my own life I often struggle to understand things that are new to me. I enjoy the process of thinking through new ideas. I relish the opportunity to think through an old thing in a new way, but that doesn't mean that I am overly good at it.

Usually any preconceptions I have about an idea act as a bit of mental fog. They cloud my thinking and thwart clarity. This can make the road to understanding difficult.

I feel like that is what the disciples were going through when Jesus shared the knowledge of his approaching fate. It was so outside the realm of their considered possibilities that they were afraid to even acknowledge it as a potential outcome. They didn't have that scenario figured out. It scared them.

Truthfully, Jesus leads us through the worst moments of personal misunderstanding. He helps to bring clarity back. It's not always an academic clarity of a situation. However, of we trust and follow him, we are always led to clarity of faith. That is something I have to remind myself of frequently.

May 11 - Own Your Cross

Read: Luke 14:25-27

Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:27 ESV)

Today crosses are fashion statements. People were them casually with little regard for their semblance or significance. In Jesus' era the cross was a multifaceted symbol of shame, disgust, torture, cruelty, and wickedness. That's the kind of cross Jesus was taking about carrying.

In the years since Jesus said those words many many people have given their lives for their faith in Jesus. In the years to come more are certain to experience a similar fate. This isn't what Jesus wants for his people. I can't imagine that he enjoys seeing his followers suffer today any more than he did then. But it is possibility.

Even though fatal martyrdom is a pretty far removed threat from our comfortable American existence that doesn't mean we don't have our cross to carry. Your faith in Jesus will mark you. It will set you apart. Often if may label you the outcast. Some will think you a fool. You have to be ok with that. You may get passed up for a promotion because of your faith. You may get demoted because of your faith. You have to be ok with that.

Taking up cross doesn't mean that we go looking for ways to voluntarily end our lives for the gospel. It also doesn't mean that we neglect our obligations and responsibilities. Taking up your cross means that you are willing to willfully follow Jesus into whatever situation he leads you into regardless of the possible or probable outcome.

April 11 - Give

Read: Matthew 5:38-42

Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. (Matthew 5:42 ESV)

My bank account is not overflowing with staggering financial figures. My wife and I do not own our home. We don't drive new vehicles. We love to give. We especially love to give to people who have no idea we are doing it. That's the best. I'm not trying to put us up on some kind of religious pedestal. I simply want to point out a principle Jesus taught that we are embracing.

Giving is powerful. It creates in you a condition of surrender that says to God, "Ok, Lord, everything I have is in reality Yours. It can be used by You, for You, and through You. Distribute it as You please." There is an indescribable amount of freedom that comes with a lack of attachment to your stuff.

Jesus gave EVERYTHING. To those who hated, accused, slandered, mocked, abused, and murdered him he in turn poured out his blood, sweat, tears, mercy, healing, grace, and life. Jesus gave EVERYTHING.

The overwhelming pattern of the Gospel is this. GIVE. Give your money, your time, your desires, your finances, and your life to God and to others. He will use it in better ways than you could ever hope to. If you try to keep it, you will lose it. If you let it go you will actually find that the power of the truth was hiding from you all along.

The Best

Tonight I watched my high school alma-mater compete in the Arkansas high school football state championship game for the second time in my lifetime. I was at both games. The preceding event was twenty years ago and I admittedly remember very little about the game other than it was bitter cold. Tonight's game still rings vividly in my mind. The hard hits, almost plays, and intense effort of players on both sides of the line of scrimmage, as well as the clamoring emotion of the crowd, are a testament to the passion my old hometown reserves for its beloved mascot and pastime. It is and has always been a football town.

Chiefly this is probably one of my biggest points of disconnection with my hometown as I have never been overly fond of football. I do appreciate the athleticism it requires and the strategic minds of those who guide the combatting forces from the sidelines. One thing that I love about watching young athletes is their heart. They lay it all on the line every play. They hold nothing back. They give it their best.

Tonight their very best moment came on the opening drive of the second half as a repeated series of small running gains led to the team's only touchdown of the game. I enjoyed watching the crowd's response to the effort of those boys. There was a suspended moment of elation and euphoria as the hundreds of fans in attendance all erupted in a brief celebration of hope. Sadly, it would not last. They would go on to lose the game 28-7, but there was no doubt that they did their best.

What about your best? What does your best look like? Is it the same today as it was ten years ago, or will be ten years from now? Like those young athletes, are you willing to lay yourself on the line, are you willing to be spent for something?

The truth is, all too often our best will not add up to produce the results we desire to attain. Sometimes that is because our desires are skewed. Sometimes it is just because someone is better, but always we can, and should, know that giving our best is pleasing to God.

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men... (Colossians 3:17, 23 ESV)

Even better--God gave his best for us, all of us, He gave himself. Thankfully, even though our best may sometimes miss the mark, His never has and never will.

Protection

I am allergic to wasps. Not deathly so, not without a large number of stings, but I am allergic and tend to get quite sick when stung. Even so, when a wasp landed on my infant son today I swatted it away with my bare hand. Crushed it with my bare hand. Never once thinking about the potential consequences to myself. Why? My innate fatherly instinct to protect. God instantly used this moment to show me a bit about Himself. He has that same instinct to protect those that belong to Him. This is where (good) parents get that instinct, having been made in the image and likeness of God.

God does not derive His sense of protection from an outside source. The desire to protect is not so much a thing He experiences so much as it is a part of His nature. In other words, just as mercy, love, justice, and goodness are part of His being...so is protection. Being in Him, belonging to Him, comes with it the requisite existence of supernatural protection. This is not to say that harm will not come to believers, anyone can realize that. This protection extends beyond the natural to the spiritual realm, although it does from time-to-time have natural repercussions in this life.

God's ultimate protection is one where He keeps His kids close, in His presence throughout all of eternity. To cohabitate that great age of timelessness that our minds can't quite comprehend. To be free from both the wages of sin, and the allure of sin.

The most incredible thing about God's great protection is that He always knew the price for it. Where I reacted without regard for consequence in order to protect my son, God always knew the price that would be paid to reconcile our iniquity. Jesus is spoken of in Revelation as the "Lamb slain before the foundation of the world." Before "let there be light" or even "let there be" God was prepared to pay the price to protect His people. He created the system, the Law, that would need to be fulfilled, all the while knowing that it would demand death. Knowing only His death would undo that which we have, and continue, to do.