Life and Death

Jesus’ life, from the very beginning, was full of miracles. From his brith to his ascension, Jesus was continually proving who he was. Now it must have been a little complex too because Jesus grew up around the towns where he would engage in his public ministry. Many times people would see Jesus do incredible things that could only be explained as the power of God. Everyone knows about the water to wine. We also know about how Lazarus was dead for multiple days and Jesus calls him out of the grave. But there is one particular passage, or miracle, where I want to focus and explore how powerful Jesus actually was (is).

When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him for they were all waiting for him. And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus’ feet, he implored him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened. (Luke 8:40-56)

Reading this passage of scripture always gives me chills. Here are two very different people coming to the understanding of how powerful faith is. Given the chance, we can learn incredible lessons from both Jairus and the bleeding woman. Jairus was an synagogue official. In my mind, he was willing to give up his job, status, and well being to ask Jesus to answer his request to heal his daughter. There are no limits to the length you are willing to go to when you have a sick child. Jairus had the same philosophy. We will drive to the doctor. We will drive to a pharmacy to pick up medication. We will buy them any type of food, dessert or drink in hopes to make them even a little bit better. Jairus goes straight to the source. I have to ask myself, “If I will go to such great lengths for my kids, then why won’t I go to such great lengths to spend time with Jesus? Why do I (we) have a tendency to treat him like a laundry mat?” Then, right in the middle of Jairus’ plea for help, there is a woman who has some of the same philosophy Jairus had. “If I can just touch the hem of Jesus’ garment, I’ll be healed.” After twelve long and painful years and who knows how many procedures, that’s the answer the bleeding woman comes to. “IF I touch him, I will be healed.” Not a bad idea at all. But why not ask, like Jairus did? The bleeding woman makes her move when Jesus was surrounded by a crowd of people. (I so wish I could have been there for this next part!) “Who touched me?” I can only imagine the look on her face when Jesus turns around.

Jairus had everything to lose. The bleeding woman had everything to gain. Jesus, as you read, healed both the woman and Jairus’ daughter. What about you and me? Are we willing to fall at the feet of Jesus? Are we willing to let him have total control of our lives? Maybe today we need to look at ourselves and think “I have nothing to lose” or maybe “I have everything to gain” What is it that I need Jesus to heal me of? Maybe it is a physical healing or maybe Jesus has already healed us from the biggest problem we have.

 

 

Christmas from a New Perspective

I was trying to gather some tools, to help me further understand scripture and the accounts given about the birth of Jesus, and I came across a story I wanted to share with you. There was a missionary that felt like he was called to Ethiopia. He happened to be arriving around Christmas to begin his missionary journey. To make a connection and to get a good idea of the people he would be working with, he went to a Christmas pageant. Upon arrival to the church, he immediately noticed that it was extremely crowded. A church that would seat maybe 100-150 people was brimming over with close to 400 people. There was no room in the inn! (pun intended) People were sitting and standing everywhere. From the outside, you really could not tell what was happening there were so many people covering the widows. Even though it was a bright and hot sunny day, inside the church it was dim due to the amount of people and the few light bulbs hanging around the exposed wooden beams. Already, it was not the typical Americanized Christmas pageant. In the play, Mary and Joseph do not travel alone to Bethlehem, but there are large crowds of family with them. In the Ethiopian culture, a pregnant woman would never be left alone so close to giving birth. In this pageant, Mary is surrounded by women and midwives. Have you ever really stopped and logically thought through who delivered baby Jesus? If Joseph was a carpenter, how did he become an expert obstetrician to deliver his new born son? I think there is enough pressure already when God sends an angel to tell you that you are going to be the earthly father of the Messiah. Plus, did you ever think about the fact that Mary was riding a donkey. Maybe the ride caused her to go into labor early? I hope you begin to get the theme here.

Jesus in Human Flesh

We tend to fill in the gaps with our own culture. Mary and Joseph heading back home alone seems to be perfectly normal for us. We pack our bags and head to the hospital, where after a few hours, we magically have a baby! I saw both of my boys being born. After the toe and finger counting, all I could think was “Jesus was born this way too.” John 1:1 tells us that the word became flesh. Does that not seem strange to anyone else?But the reality is, God took on human flesh. Jesus was born to Mary and Joseph. He was born into a family that was not affluent or rich by any means. Jesus grew up in a Jewish household. As a small child, at the age of five or six, he would have started to learn the Torah (the Law…the first five books of the Bible). At age eight, Jesus could begin his education by sitting under a rabbi. At twelve or thirteen, he would have been considered an adult. As a young adult, Jesus would have begun to take on his father’s job as a carpenter. I know it seems hard to imagine, but Jesus also dealt with the same thing you and I deal with on a daily basis. You might be thinking to yourself  “No way! He was Jesus.” It took me a second too, but really Jesus knew what it was like to be tired, hungry, thirsty, frustrated, tempted, disappointed, lonely. All of the things we feel on a daily basis, Jesus knew them. So in this Christmas season, I hope that you can take a moment to realize the implications of Jesus as a baby, born in a manger.

 

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Redeeming

Redemption is a complex word. By itself, we understand that redemption is the process of redeeming. Redeeming by definition is the act of buying back an object at a certain price. When I was a teenager, I had a job at Chick-fil-A. Now, I know things have changed, but when I worked with CFA we were often given B.O.G. cards to give to frequent customers or family members. “Be Our Guest” cards were coupons for free items. They would be for sandwiches, nuggets, biscuits, milkshakes, drinks, waffle fries, and, if you were really lucky, you might have received a B.O.G for a #1 Combo meal. The reality was (and is) that someone is really paying for the supposed “free” item. Without too much business detail, the operator’s name on the coupon was the guy/gal that was being charged for the “free” item, not the costumer.  So, which leads us to several questions. Why did I get a coupon? Who is really paying?

Why was I so Lucky?

Paul wrote in Romans that all of us have sinned and we all fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). Let’s take a quick history lesson and return to an account in scripture with which we are all probably familiar. The story of Adam and Woman (she wasn’t named Eve until the after they sinned) is where we need to start. God gave his two created beings one simple instruction to not eat the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden (Gen 3:3). Well, I think we all know the results. Adam and Woman made a poor choice. Because of that choice we were all effected and we are all born into sin. What does that really mean? Well, we need saving from this sin. We need someone to rescue humanity, to redeem us. The results of sin are death and a broken relationship with God. God is Holy and cannot be around sin. Hence, Adam and Eve were banned from the garden. God’s creation, that was made to glorify him and fellowship with him, was no longer able to do so. If we are not careful, we read right over God’s redemptive plan in Genesis 3:15. We have a tendency to be caught up in the fact that Adam and Eve sinned and we miss this verse where God inserts himself back into the story. God explains that his son would defeat death and bring liberation for all mankind.

Is Salvation really “free?”

Is there anything in life that is ever free? Even through all my childhood and adolescent years, I had always heard that salvation was free, but it never crossed my mind that Jesus paid something, his life, as a ransom for mine. “For this reason, Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.” (Hebrews 9:15) I understood that Jesus died on a cross and paid the atonement for sin. That seems like such a global concept that sometimes, like myself, we lose the personal connection. As a young adult, I really began to understand that not only did Jesus die for humanity (another global word), but he died for me, on a personal level. Because of Jesus’ life and death, I am offered freedom. That’s mind boggling to me. It’s as if Jesus said, “You can’t afford the chicken sandwich, so take this coupon. I’ve already paid for it.” Now the question is in our “court.” Are we going to redeem the coupon? Not only do we get salvation, but Jesus is also at the table waiting on us to come eat with him. WHAT? Not only does Jesus offer salvation, but he also wants a personal relationship with me (and you).

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The Prophet

Last Sunday in church, our pastor asked a similar question to “when you hear the name of Jesus, what do you think?” My mind, like a Rolodex, when straight to prophet, priest and king. In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel was tired of being attacked and thought that if they had a monarchy system it would help lessen the attacks. God, however, wanted the Hebrew people to be a theocratic government. Meaning, God would lead his people as he had done before. (Think Exodus…by a pillar of fire and cloud). The nation of Israel, however, had a different idea. They persisted on having a monarchy system, hoping that would solve their problems. In fact, the solution to their problem was not a physical king, but the solution would have been being obedient to God’s plan, not their own. Nevertheless, God appointed a king to rule over the nation. In part of this monarchy system, God put in place a prophet for the king. The prophet was one who spoke on behalf of God. The prophet was the mouthpiece that would take God’s commands to the king. Ultimately, the king could listen to the prophet and obey God’s commands or the king could choose otherwise. John 8:26 tells us that Jesus came on behalf of God to instruct the Hebrew people about who God is and the course of actions they needed to take. The same goes for us in current day. Jesus is our prophet that tell us the direction God wants us to go. Jesus is also the prophet that declares that he is coming back for his bride (the church).

The Priest

The priest had the task of being the people’s representative with God. Again, in the Old Testament, there were multiple roles and functions of the priest. We are maybe familiar with the High Priest and the Day of Atonement. The High Priest would enter into the Holy of Holy’s and receive a word from God to take to the nation of Israel. When Jesus died on the cross, the veil was torn signifying we all now have one on one access to God. Jesus is our representative, our High Priest. We are all extremely thankful for that. But what about the everyday activities the priest was responsible for? The service, the sacrifices, the scrolls, the tabernacle itself, all of these duties were daily, not just once a year. The question quickly becomes, am I letting Jesus have his way in the minutia of my daily tasks? Such as in how I act, in my speech, in my physical appearance, and in my thought life. In all those things, I have a priest in Jesus that wants to represent me before his Father. The priest would also take the animal and make the blood offering for the forgiveness of sin. Instead of an animal, Jesus covers us with his own blood that was shed on the cross. Not to mention Jesus, as the priest, sacrificed himself on my behalf, for my sin. It’s a tough way of life to live, in the in-between; either I can let him be my High Priest, or not.We might be more like the Hebrew people then we are willing to admit.

The King

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11) “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.” (Colossians 2:9-10) Scripture makes it pretty clear the position that Jesus has been given. He is the King of Kings. Revelation tells us that Jesus will return to defeat Satan and reign as King. I am overwhelmed by the magnitude of that statement, maybe because I know I have someone that rules with compassion and grace when that is not what I deserve or humanity deserves. Part of the role of a King is to watch over the civilization of people in his kingdom, to care for and keep their best interest at heart. Not only has Jesus defeated Satan, but he has also given freedom to escape the bondage of sin. Jesus has met the requirements I could not meet. He traded his life for mine (and yours). He is a loving king that provides, protects and promises eternal hope. 

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If Words matter, then where do they come from?

Have you ever had that moment where you speak words into existence and immediately wish you could get them back? Words are very powerful. Have you ever thought “Where did those words come from?” Before long, we begin to realize that’s just it…it’s our thoughts, that turn into those words that we wish we could somehow shove back into our mouths. James would argue that if we are in a relationship with Jesus we have been called to be ambassadors or witnesses. Certainly our actions are on display, but the words we speak have the power to bring life or death. James would push forward that we cannot overlook the responsibility of preaching the Gospel (James 3). Are we, as disciples, truly living and speaking in a manner that brings honor and glory to Christ? Both James and Paul should establish that believing in Jesus would determine the course of actions we take in our lives. Paul would press further into the idea that we have to take every thought captive (2 Cor. 10:5). Does heart regeneration happen on its own? My philosophy is that once a person comes to a cognitive level of understanding that Jesus sacrificed his life for their sin, then that will lead them to heart regeneration. Paul tells us that true transformation happens with the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2).

Fruit Trees?

James uses an illustration of fruit to further his point about the importance and impact of our words (James 3). When I was growing up, I loved playing in the backyard. Along the fence line we had apple trees and almost in the center of the yard we had two plum trees. It brings back fond memories of snacking on fruit while I played in the backyard. But here’s the deal, I never went to the apple tree and expected to get a plum. I never went to the plum tree expecting an apple. I believe James is challenging us to be consistent in our words and actions. If we claim to be Christ followers, then our words need to match our actions. So in every situation I have to ask myself, “What kind of fruit am I producing?” Jesus would say that a good tree cannot produce bad fruit and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit (Matt. 7:17-20).

Words Lived Out?

I am a habitual self-evaluator. As an ambassador of Christ, I believe it is important that we ask ourselves two questions on a ritualistic basis. First, what’s going into my mind? Second, what are others saying about the fruit (words) I am speaking?

I know we have all heard the cliché, “Garbage in garbage out,” but it happens to be a philosophy that is very applicable. If we adhere to Paul’s teaching, it is imperative to be spending time in the word of God. We cannot expect to display the qualities of Christ if we do not know what those qualities are. Galatians 5:22-23 explains love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are those qualities. Christ displayed these qualities and as an ambassador we too must display those same qualities. I think these fruits make an appearance or lack of an appearance in our everyday lives in the way we talk and live life.

Second, ask friends to give you honest feedback about the words you use and the life you are leading. Hopefully, you have a supporting cast that wants to help you grow and challenges you to be more like Christ. I know, for me, I have true friends and mentors I turn to that can give me an honest evaluation if I am being an example of Christ. Being vulnerable to take helpful criticism is extremely difficult and possibly not what our current culture is teaching us. But again, are we going to listen to culture or are we  willing to hold true to the scripture that has been communicated to us?

 

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