Now that we know we are all mortal … One of the effects of the global pandemic is this. So many of us have been ignoring the fact that we are mortal. We have been pretending, distracting ourselves, filling every stray moment with entertainments, and again just plain ignoring. But for a whole lot of us, that is gone. We are mortal and there is no denying it. What does this mean for us? There are lessons we should remember from these days. Some of them are sobering. Others are hopeful and joyful. We should not put all our hopes in the things of this life and this world. There will be disappointments and there will be things we will never have. The Bible has something to say about this. “All that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in life – is not from the Father …. And the world is passing away along with its desires, …” (1 John 2:16-17) Remember the inner life. Jesus called us to know the life of the soul. He talked about time with God, “ When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6) He invited all who are weary and burdened to come to Him and said, “you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29) The life of the soul is the inner life and it is important to fill that inner life with the good things of God. Things like faith, prayer, love, joy, peace, patience and more. The time we spend in God’s Word, and prayer is an investment in the things that last. The verse above from 1 John finishes, “the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:17) Sooner or later this body will fail, and we will stand in the presence of God. “It is appointed to man once to die and then the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) To many people that idea is frightening. But for the Christian there are all kinds of promises. We are connected to Jesus. And He said, “Because I live you also will live.” (John 14:19) Paul says, “neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, … not height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39) Paul tells us about the second greatest hope we have when he says that Jesus “will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body". (Philippians 3:21) The greatest blessing we will hear from God Himself when we hear God say, “Now the dwelling of God is with man.” (Revelation 21:3) The Bible tells us that we are children of God, adopted into the family of God through what Jesus has done. He has bought us with His own suffering. He has forgiven our sins and given us His own holiness (2 Corinthians 5:21) And He calls us to follow Him and live with Him forever. Spending time with God in worship matters more than most people realize. How often have we taken it for granted, thinking it will always be there? Worshiping the One who has and gives eternal life; calling on Him in our needs and thanking Him for our blessings; and learning the Gospel of Jesus Christ -- these are the things that open up eternity. King Solomon said, "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth”. (Ecclesiastes 12:1) God calls us to gather around Him; to remember the Gospel message, that “God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) ; and trust Him that there is a “righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.” (Romans 3:22) Those truths bring our souls into fellowship with God. This whole business started not long after we heard the words, "Remember, dust you are and to dust shall you return." That was Ash Wednesday. Now it is Easter Season. Remember that Jesus Christ is Risen; that He will return; and that He will call us out of "dust" to be transformed and live forever. Remember the life of the Spirit. And remember the life that is there for you in the words and promises of God. Lord Jesus, call me to the spiritual things. Call me to the things of the soul. And call me to the eternal things of God. Help me remember the things of the inner life, where You call, deep within my soul, to know You as my Savior, to trust in You through all that happens in this life, and at the end to see Your glory forever. Amen.
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Questions It was during my Junior year of High School. Like so many others, that was the time in my life when I began asking questions. I was looking at life, exploring the world, and figuring out what I wanted to believe. And it was about that time the musical came out “Jesus Christ Superstar.” The songs caught on, and they were on the radio a lot. At Church one day a group of us asked the Pastor, “What do you think about it?” He answered, “Well, they’re asking the right questions.” That was a fantastic answer. The questions they were singing were like this: “Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, who are you, what have you sacrificed? … Do you think you’re what they say you are?” And, “I don’t know how to love Him …” We understood that it was good for those who did not know Jesus to ask. Who is Jesus? Was this all planned? And how do we relate to this man who is not like us? But there was even more. This is how our pastor’s answer hit home: “They’re asking the right questions”? We get to ask questions? This is not just about believing what we have been told? And we started asking. It is a fascinating thing about the Christian faith. We ask questions and search the Scriptures. And we welcome questions. This is the most fun part of teaching confirmation; when the students start asking questions. Some years they think they are getting us off the lesson plan. But not so. The entire confirmation class is asking and answering, “Who is Jesus, and what has He done for us?” Every question, every curiosity, and even a lot of the questions that come out of doubt – all of them lead us to look at Jesus, and we find amazing things in Him. Jesus taught His disciples (and everyone else) by prompting their questions. There is a string of events in the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus is prompting questions.
And then there are the teachings of Jesus.
Christianity invites searching. When you begin to search and ask about Jesus, you find out that He is equal to all the questions you have; even the deepest questions. What is life all about? What does it mean to have a soul? What is good and evil? You learn about God looking at the quiet humility of Jesus and His deep interest in all those around Him. You learn prayer by listening to Jesus’ teaching. And we find the purpose and fulfillment of our lives in our relationship with Him. It is a fascinating thing about the Christian faith. We ask questions and search the Scriptures. And we welcome questions. Was our pastor back then asking questions? Yes, he was, searching the Scriptures and asking questions; learning more about God. Am I still asking questions? Yes, I am. And I have found it to be true through the years. The more I learn about Jesus, the more the Bible opens up about the deep things of God; about our God who created us; about our Savior who came to be one of us, to win us by His blood for eternal life; and about the Holy Spirit who has worked faith deep inside my soul to bring me to Jesus. As much as I learn, I know there is so much more waiting for God to open it up. Jesus still continues to fascinate. And I know I will keep learning more and more about Him for my whole life. Even when we see Him face to face we will still be just getting started. Lord Jesus, lead me to know You, more and more every day. Open up the Scriptures that I may grow in faith, and grow in understanding Your words, Your will, Your love, and Your wisdom. May I grow in my fascination with all that You are, all that You teach and all that You are leading me to, that I may know the wonders of eternity. Amen. Power, Status and Equality There is something odd and unexpected about the way Jesus talked with people, and how He related to them. Over and over it does not fit the pattern you would expect. After all Jesus is God; He is almighty; He is all-knowing and able to see our deepest thoughts; and He claims us as “the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.” (Psalm 95:7) But Jesus moves comfortably through and with the crowds of the humble and poor, welcomes children and sits with Nicodemus the scholar, sits with the woman at the well, and puts mud on the eyes of the blind man. Look through the Gospels and you do not find Him strutting His power or showing off His status. Do you remember the story of Zacchaeus? He wanted to see Jesus, but was short. So He ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree. Jesus came by, looked up and said, “Hey Zacchaeus! Come on down. I have to stay at your house today.” (Luke 19:5) It is comfortable, informal and natural, even as Jesus is calling Zacchaeus to salvation. Even when Jesus was rebuking the Pharisees; He was challenging their entrenched beliefs in order to bring them to know the truth. There are times when Jesus refused to take authority. Once when someone asked Him to make his brother divide the inheritance, Jesus said, “Man, who made Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” (Luke 12:14) At the wedding at Cana when His mother told Him they had run out of wine, Jesus said, “My hour has not yet come.” (John 2:4) But it is not just authority or power. Jesus did not “lord it over” others. He could have. He is Lord. But instead, John describes Him:
Time and time again Jesus did the “look you in the eye and tell you what’s in your soul.” But even then Jesus was not “lording it over.” In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus talked about His manner. He said to those looking at and asking about Him, “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29) “Humble in heart,” He says. Not, “for I am God and you must obey My authority.” Humble may be the most amazing characteristic of God ever mentioned in the Bible. Humble in heart or (KJV wording) "lowly in heart". It is unexpected, and it does not fit the pattern you would expect of God. But that is the way Jesus comes to call us. It confronts us with the actual character of God, surprising us and making His claims in a vivid way. There is a one-to-one pattern here. But it is not a sudden change in the Bible. You find it in back in the Old Testament, in the description of the "tent of meeting". “Thus the Lord used to speak with Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.” (Exodus 33:11) Even further back, in Genesis, God came walking in the garden in the cool of the day to spend time with Adam and Eve, calling out to them. At the end of the Gospel of John, Jesus spent time simply having breakfast with the disciples, even cooking the breakfast for them. There is a “down on our level” pattern to all this. And there is a “one soul to another” pattern to Jesus' words. With all the surprise and unexpectedness, that is part of what draws and attracts Christians so much to Jesus. This is our God who chose to be with us. And this is our God who chooses to bring us into sharing His glory. And this part of the character of Jesus is exactly why I say, “Not only is He God; He is the one I can trust and want to have all the power and authority in the universe and in my life.” Lord Jesus, my friend – because You have called yourself my friend. You are the friend I can turn to in every need, and You were my friend when I did not deserve You as a friend. You carried me through salvation, out of sin and into Your grace, out of death and into life. And You did that by giving Yourself for me. Help me always to know You as my friend. And help me always to follow You as my Lord and my God. Fill me with Your word that Your holy will may form my soul and guide my life. Amen. My Grandfather’s Coal Bin When I was little (I think 2 or 3 years old) my grandparents used to heat with coal. My grandfather would shovel the coal into the hopper. When the house needed more heat, the furnace would turn on the auger and pull more coal into the furnace to burn. When my grandparents needed more coal, they would call the coal company and they would come by with a truck and the coal would clatter down the chute into the coal bin in the basement. The company wanted their customers to keep buying from them, so they would include shiny little tags with their phone number. Those shiny tin tags were the fascinating part, for a 2 or 3 year old. They were about ½ inch by 1 inch, would not hurt the furnace, and, did I mention, they were shiny? The shiny part was important. I remember one time when my grandparents got a load of coal, my older brother and I were allowed (for just a few moments) to dig out some of those tags and gather a little pile of them. It was fascinating! (For a 2 or 3 year old anyway.) So … there was that other time. Later, one day I snuck down to the coal bin. Wow! All that coal, and I could have all the little shiny tags I wanted. I dug through and carefully piled up first one stack, and then another. I had one stack that must have been 3 or 4 inches tall and the other one getting close. And then it got boring, and my mom was calling, so I went upstairs …. The next part is kind of fuzzy. I do not remember all of it. I remember looking up at my mother and her looking down at me – and in the next instant I was in the bathtub. I was probably covered with coal dust from head to foot, and was probably leaving coal dust footprints behind me! This is an illustration. Jesus was the spotless Lamb of God. He was the Holy One, the Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity. There was no fault, or blemish in Him. But He came into our world with a plan to take all the sin of the world on Himself. Even though He was the sinless Son of God, He took my sins and your sins on Himself. Jesus went to Calvary covered from head to foot with all the sin of the whole human race. He presented Himself before His Father covered with our rebellion, uncleanness, hatred, moral filth, and selfishness. Paul says, “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) What was His Father to do? Sin must be punished. As Jesus presented Himself covered with the sin of the human race; all the judgment and wrath of God was poured out on Him. The Servant Song in Isaiah 53 says, “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; …. 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) [At the beginning of this prophecy (Isaiah 52:13) God the Father says, “Behold My Servant”. And near the end (Isaiah 53:11) the Father repeats “My Servant”. In New Testament language the Father says, “This is My Beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17 at Jesus’ baptism, and Matthew 17:5 on the Mount of Transfiguration) ] Through all the judgment Jesus continued in faith. He continued to pray, “Father …” and “My God …” In this way, through suffering the Judgment with perfect faith, Jesus offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice. The prophet Isaiah says, “The Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render His soul as a guilt offering …” (Isaiah 53:10) The offering of the soul is the faith of the soul. So the offering Jesus made was both perfect in sinlessness, and perfect in faith. And by that offering Jesus has set us free. Lord Jesus, I am amazed that You would come, bringing Your perfect life to redeem me, Your perfect faith to cover my faithlessness, and Your holy and sinless soul to be the ransom for my soul. Help me to see all my sins taken away and carried by You; and to know the freedom and joy that comes to me in Your words and promises. Amen. A "Lukewarm" Jesus? I just read the quote from C.S. Lewis that says the one thing you cannot say about Jesus is: that He is simply a great moral teacher. Jesus makes claims that are so far reaching that … Well, if those claims are not true, if Jesus were not God but only a mere human being, then neither would He be any kind of a moral teacher. A man who claims to be God, and is not, is either out of his mind, or a deceiver. Make of Him what you will, but the one thing He cannot be is the one thing He refuses to be – a mere human being. He will not fit! He is not and can never be “lukewarm.” Jesus makes claims, and each one of us is confronted with those claims. Reject Him, ignore Him, or worship Him. But Jesus has called the question, “What do you make of Jesus?” It is like He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is? … [and then] But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:13-16) Through His teaching, through His miracles, and through the questions He guides them to Peter’s response, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus makes claims:
But the most important claim of Jesus is that Jesus claims us. He claims you to be His own, to live in His kingdom in everlasting life and blessing. Again, accept or reject it, but that is His claim and that is how He comes to us. It can be disconcerting when someone steps into the world and sets down the claim that you belong to Him. Worship, or walk away, but He will not be anything else or anything less.
In claiming you, Jesus says that He owns you and wants you to follow Him, have life “abundantly” (John 10:10) , see His glory (John 17:24) , be raised, transformed, glorious, and live forever. He makes the claim by carrying your sins on the cross. And again, He makes the claim by speaking His Gospel and filling your soul with His Words. When the time comes Jesus will claim us by calling us out of the grave, and gathering with us before His Father. The prophecy says, “He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17) There is an amazing sweetness when the claims of Jesus and the victory of Jesus is exactly this; that we are eternally blessed beyond anything that we could ever dream of. And when our being blessed is what prompts and moves God Himself to exult and burst into song; who could have imagined that? Lord Jesus, let me rejoice that You have claimed me; that I am not my own to wander on my own; that You have claimed me for eternal life; and with eternal life also joy and blessing. Let me never forget the cost, and by the cost of the cross may I know the full measure of Your grace. Let me sing for joy to be with You, as You will sing for joy to be with me. Amen. Jesus’ Mother (Believing the Words & Promises of God) This is mothers’ day. And there is a lot to say about the mother of Jesus. Martin Luther called her the best among us. That is not her own doing. It was her Son. Jesus changes us. He brings the Word of God to us and brings us to faith. And what we see in Mary is the excellent work of Jesus. Let’s look at how that happened. (Luke 1:26-55) When the angel Gabriel came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you”, (Luke 1:28) how did Mary respond? She was greatly troubled at the greeting. (v. 29) That was her confession that she had done nothing to deserve such an honor. Mary proclaims that everything is by the grace of God. Then Gabriel began to explain. She would conceive, bear a son and call His name Jesus. He would be king, Son of David and Son of the Most High, and would reign forever. (vv. 30-33) How did Mary respond? She confessed that she did not understand, “How will this be since I am a virgin?” (v. 34) Once again Gabriel explained. The Holy Spirit would act, it would be God’s doing, and the child would be holy, the Son of God. How did Mary respond? She believed, and she “spoke the ‘Amen.’” Faith is nothing else than to speak the “Amen” to God’s words. In our confirmation book we have a definition of what it means when we say the "Amen." 1 We acknowledge the truth. “What has been spoken is God’s Word and it is true.” Mary acknowledged the truth of the angel’s words. 2 We confess the goodness. “It is true for me, and yes, that is good.” Mary certainly confessed the goodness of what God was doing. 3 We speak our hope. “I will see God’s truth filling all creation.” Mary would then wait and hope for the day when she would see all of God’s promises fulfilled in her Son. All the promises are fulfilled and will be fulfilled in Jesus. We also hope and wait to see the glorious fulfillment. 4 We worship. “Praise God for His love, His wonderful words, and His mighty acts.” Mary responds in worship to God for His mercy, His grace, and His blessings. There in Nazareth that day, Jesus did His work of being the Savior. By His coming into the world and by His incarnation within her womb He created faith in Mary. She is the first of the New Testament Church, responding to the presence of Jesus in her life and soul. And Jesus then teaches and guides her in the song of praise. We call it the Magnificat. Here are some of the passages: “My soul magnifies the Lord” “my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” “He who is mighty has done great things for me” “Holy is His name” “His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation.” “He has filled the hungry with good things” “He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy.” Mary “Acknowledges,” “Confesses,” “Waits and Hopes”; And her "Amen" must finish with Worship and Praise. There were a lot of things to happen. The wonder of Jesus’ birth. Shepherds and Wise Men. The prophecies of grief spoken by Simeon. -- In each of these Mary speaks the Amen deep in her heart. Acknowledge, Confess, Wait & Hope, Worship. Then there was the flight into Egypt, the return, and the time when Jesus was 12 years old and stayed behind in the temple. Again, Mary spoke the "Amen" deep in her soul. Acknowledge, Confess, Wait & Hope, Worship. And then there was the arrest, the crucifixion, the tomb, and Jesus rising from the dead. And again, the "Amen" deep, deep in the soul mingled with the grief and resounding in the amazing joy. Acknowledge, Confess, Wait & Hope, and Worship. Worship and rejoice without end; worship and rejoice for all eternity. Christ is Risen! Lord Jesus, let me hold Your words in my soul, acknowledging the truth. Lead me Confessing the goodness of all that You have done. Set my eyes on all that is to come when You return in glory. And through everything that happens, through all the joys and sorrows, let me worship, because You are my Lord, My Savior, My Brother, and my Friend. Amen. Truth: Part 2 (From Curses to Blessings) Jesus makes some pretty huge claims: to be God; the only Savior; and eternal. He makes claims about His words. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35) And everyone who hears His words and builds on them “will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24) Jesus’ words are the word of God, and they have power. There are amazing things that happen when He speaks:
But did you ever notice: The first sermon of the Old Testament starts out: “… cursed are you …” and continues “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing …. [and] cursed is the ground because of you …. You are dust and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:14-19) The first sermon of the New Testament begins, “Blessed are …” (Matthew 5:3-7:27) The change between curse and blessing is nothing else than Jesus; Jesus born for us, living for us; crucified for us and rising for us. Jesus’ words change things. More important than the miracles, they change our relationship with God. They bring forgiveness.
Jesus changes us from being cursed and separated from God, to being the beloved children of God and His own friends. And He gives promises: “You will know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:32) When we have our souls filled with the eternal Word of God, we have eternity within us. And Jesus says, “Because I live, you will live.” (John 14:19) His promises are more powerful than any problem, trial, or misfortune that could happen to us. He hears our prayers and is with us every day, “to the end of the age.” Lord Jesus, fill my soul with Your promises. Fill my mind with Your words. Connect me to You that Your life may fill my life, Your heaven may be my home, Your resurrection may be my great hope, and Your eternity may become my future. Amen. Truth We hear the phrases. “My truth”; “your truth”; “truth to power”; and pretty soon truth becomes relative. That is the sad reality about our disagreements and arguments, that truth becomes relative way too quickly and then our disagreements are simply different sides asserting "their truth" at the other. Even more sadly, that is not rare in human history; and once we go down that road it hard to come back. I’ve noticed something. We humans appear to be stubborn. There is a whole different idea and standard of truth. It has been there all along; and it is still there no matter how often we ignore it. This is the Truth that God has spoken. He has His own ideas, His own opinions, His own sense of what is right and good. And He is not taking sides in our disagreements. Truth comes in the Word of God. He speaks and it is. It just is. So God says, “Let there be light;” and there is light. God says, “Let us make man in Our Image;” and we are formed in the image of God. That kind of truth is absolute. It isn’t just unchanging; it causes what it says. The creation has to conform to the words that come out of the mouth of God. There were challenges to the truth. The devil said, “You will not surely die …” Eve saw that the fruit looked good, and ate. Adam ate and then blamed God, “The woman You put here …” But the Truth that God speaks cannot be set aside. It reasserts itself, “dust you are and to dust shall you return.” And we ended up living on the wrong side of truth. When you read or hear the 10 Commandments, realize that they are not just commands; they are Truth spoken by God. The Jewish people had a saying. “When Messiah comes He will write the Law new.” That was the hope God spoke through Jeremiah, “ … the days are coming … when I will make a new covenant …. I will put My law within them and I will write it on their hearts. …” (Jeremiah 31:31-34) Jesus came into the world. He began to preach. And He started His Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are … .“ Nine times over Jesus spoke the Word. (Matthew 5:3-12) “Blessed are …” He says, and the creation has to conform to the words that come out of the mouth of God. Jesus brings Truth and in His words He begins to rewrite the entire creation. Jesus IS the Truth and in His saving work he becomes the restart of God’s creation and His kingdom. This Sunday we will hear Jesus’ words, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.” (John 14:6) Everything comes together in Him. When Paul talks about Jesus being obedient “to the point of death even death on a cross” and then says “Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and … at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow”. Philippians 2:8-11) this is because Jesus IS the Truth. He is the beginning, the foundation, and the restarting of the new creation. He is the pattern for the entire world to come, and God the Father desires that every one of His people should “be conformed to the image of His Son”. (Romans 8:29) The resurrection of Jesus is the truth that changes everything about our existence. Who we are is Christians, connected to the one who defeated death. What our future is, is to share Jesus’ life and His blessings forever. The forming of our soul and inner being is this, “When He appears we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2) Lord Jesus, call me to know You, and in knowing You to find the Truth that is eternal. Be to me the eternal Truth that dispels my doubts and errors. Be the unchanging Truth that changes everything about me. Be the glorious Truth that I may see Your glory. And lead me more deeply into the Truth of Your Word that I may know You ever more fully. Amen. On the Road Again … I saw on the news today how sales of RV’s are soaring. All over the country people want to be out and “On the road again.” (Yes, the story had the song from Willie Nelson playing as the lead in.) Earlier this week Lois came by the church office. She had something to deliver, we wore our masks, we kept “social distance,” and afterward she headed back home. But one of the things she said rings true. “I just had to get out and see people.” The song goes, “On the road again … I just can’t wait to get on the road again.” We are not made to “stay in place.” It is difficult and it takes effort; and we will seek to do our duty as necessary. But God created time so we could move through events and enjoy things that are new and changing. It is part of our nature. When God called Abraham, what did He tell him to do? Leave and go to the land I will show you. (Genesis 12:1) When God called the people of Israel out of Egypt what did He do? Had them set up a “tabernacle,” a tent church so He could share the journey. And when Jesus was born how did John describe it? “The Word became flesh and “tabernacled” among us.” (John 1:14) Yes, that is the Greek word, the same one used for the Old Testament tabernacle. God created us to be “on the road again” and Jesus was born so that He could be “on the road” with us, sharing the journey, walking the roads of the holy land with the disciples, being with the people of the land, the sick, the lame, the poor, sharing the journey. Jesus was ready to share the journey, even when the way was dark and filled with suffering. He walked our road all the way to the cross and then from the empty tomb on Easter. And then Jesus was “on the road” with His disciples, the road to Emmaus, the sea shore, and out to the mountain where He ascended. God created time so we could be “on the road again” and then came into the created world to be on the road with us. In fact, the third line of the song fits the pattern of Jesus with His disciples, “The life I love is makin’ music with my friends”. That is what Jesus called them to. And He was willing to pay a steep price in order to have them “on the road” with Him for all time, and making music “on the road” forever. The same word, “tabernacle,” comes around again at the end of the Bible. John says, “And I heard a voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with man. He will tabernacle with them, and they will be His people, and God himself will be with them as their God.’” (Revelation 21:3) When I first learned that was the word I thought, “That’s odd. Why doesn’t it say “temple? Temple would be more permanent.” But there it is. The big difference is that a tabernacle is movable. I wonder. Is that intentional? Well, of course it is! The Bible is God’s Word, and He gets to influence and guide the writing of the writers. So, does this mean that when we get to the end it will not be the end? Does it mean that our eternal dwelling with God will not be a staying still, a staying in one place forever? At that point I come to the end and limit of what I can know. God does not reveal any of the “What next?” beyond the return of Jesus. But it is intriguing. And some of the prophecies say things like, “They shall go out …” God chose the word “tabernacle,” and did so on purpose. It is a pretty strong hint that eternal life is not going to be an endless staying in one place and doing the same thing forever. And why would it be? God created time for us so our life would not be endless sameness, but rather a wonderful passing through hours and moments of experiencing the blessings of God. There are adventures, there is going forward, and it is from glory to glory, “running” with Jesus forever. I think it really does fit the words: “On the road again I just can't wait to get on the road again The life I love is makin' music with my friends …” Lord Jesus, lead me on. You call us to go with You, and know that there will be glory, and joy, and it will be the most amazing adventure ever. Thank You for buying back my eternity, and inviting me to be on the road with You through endless ages. Amen. God Loves Life and Loves Giving Life The whole theme of the Bible is Jesus coming into the world, bringing life so we can have eternal life and live with God for all eternity. Right from the beginning that was the plan, Jesus bringing life. In getting ready, God packed the Old Testament full of hints and tips what everything was about. Jesus is the life of the world, and there is life in Him. He is "the Seed of the woman" the answer to death and dying. He is the Lamb, the substitute on the mountain (Genesis 22:13), the Passover (Exodus 12), and the suffering Servant (Isaiah 53:6-7). So God prepared and finally the time was right. Jesus was born and John begins his Gospel, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." (John 1:4) Jesus is the life and He would heal the sick and raise the dead. All around the holy land He came to bring life. Jesus explained something about Himself, "As the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in Himself." (John 5:26) That is very distinct. His life is different from our life. We receive our lives because we were conceived and born. Jesus "has life in Himself." He is eternally living, and His eternal life is the same as the Father's. But Jesus came to bring life by being the substitute, standing in our place and receiving the sentence of death. This is the mystery. How is He who has life in Himself supposed to be subject to death? Even after being conceived and taking on a human body, He was still the Eternally Living One. How was it possible for Him to die? And yet Jesus willingly went to share our sentence of death, accepting what did not belong to Him. He came to bring life, and bring us into His life. Death cannot hold the One who is Life and has life in Himself? It cannot destroy the One who has no sin. It cannot keep the One who can raise the dead with just a few words. The One who said, "Lazarus, come forth!" (John 11:43) or "Child, arise." (Luke 8:54) could not be stopped. We say it all the time. Death is undone. It is broken. Jesus could not be held in the tomb, kept in the grave cloths, or have His body bound by death and decay. "In Him was life." And along comes another wonderful verse. Jesus said, "As the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He will." (John 5:21) We have comfort. And we have the promise. Jesus gives life to whom He will, and He has chosen to give life to us. No weakness or sickness, no wearing down of these bodies from long years, and no accident can stop the Son of God from giving life. Lord Jesus, You are my life and salvation. You hold in Your rising the promise of my life. You hold in Your eternity, all my years to come, and all the blessings of being with You. Keep me in faith and guide me that I may sing Your praise, forever. Amen. |
Rev. Mark WilligPastor Willig is pastor emeritus of Friends in Christ Lutheran Church. Archives
December 2023
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