One cannot reflect on Matthew 27:50-54 without wondering about the strange occurrences recorded. Matthew is the only gospel writer to record the earthquake at Christ's death, the opening of the tombs, and the raising of the saints. Whether this was an actual "historic" event, or Matthew's way of proclaiming the power of God at this crucial moment, I'll let others decide. Clearly something powerful and unusual happened at the time of Christ's death, powerful enough for the centurion and those with him to declare, "Truly this man was God's Son." And that, perhaps, is the main point. This was no ordinary crucifixion ending in death. Something more was happening. Something much deeper was taking place. God was at work in a new and unique way. This was God's Son, redeeming the world. The full story had not yet been revealed, but we now believe Christ's death was for the sins of the world.
Time after time we see how lives were changed by what took place. In this case it is the centurion, whose life will never be the same. It reminds me that Christianity does involve conversion, a changed heart. This can happen in many different ways depending on the person and the work of the Spirit. Some people, raised in a Christian home, can never remember a time they were not Christian. Others experience a dramatic point of conversion. Whatever the case, Christianity is a life changing belief. It changed the centurion's life at the cross. It has also changed mine.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Day 37- The Curtain is Torn
This is such a powerful moment that occurs just as Christ dies. The temple curtain, separating the Holy Place from the most Holy Place, is completely severed, top to bottom. God is doing a new thing. God is tearing up the old, and replacing it with something far better. Earlier in Lent, I preached a sermon on the promised new covenant of Jeremiah 31:33. In the new covenant, God's law would move from the external to the internal, from the outside to the heart. Access to God would be through faith alone, not some outside set of laws or some priestly intermediaries. God gets deeply personal. This is the point at which that promise is symbolically fulfilled. There is no more curtain in front of God. Now, everyone shall have opportunity to know the Lord. God's law will forever be written on our hearts.
It was on a ninth grade confirmation retreat many years ago, that I first heard and understood that I could know God personally. This amazed me. This overwhelmed me. God was not just some concept or some distant being. God could be known personally, just by praying and asking for God's presence. This changed my life. You might say that the curtain that separated me from understanding God was torn in two, top to bottom. I am so grateful that this curtain was first torn and taken away from the temple, when Jesus died. Now everyone has access to God. I am even more grateful that the curtain was torn in my life, opening up a whole new world of faith and life with God.
It was on a ninth grade confirmation retreat many years ago, that I first heard and understood that I could know God personally. This amazed me. This overwhelmed me. God was not just some concept or some distant being. God could be known personally, just by praying and asking for God's presence. This changed my life. You might say that the curtain that separated me from understanding God was torn in two, top to bottom. I am so grateful that this curtain was first torn and taken away from the temple, when Jesus died. Now everyone has access to God. I am even more grateful that the curtain was torn in my life, opening up a whole new world of faith and life with God.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Day 36- I Commend My Spirit
"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." (Luke 23:46, NIV) In Luke's gospel, these are the final words of Jesus before he dies. I read them as ultimate words of trust. Jesus gives his life over to God the Father, trusting in the Father for whatever was yet to come. That's faith, giving your life up to God and trusting in God's plan for your future.
We do not need to be on our deathbed to commit our spirits to God. When that time comes, I hope I can give my life up to God in the same way Jesus does. Because Jesus died and rose, I can have complete confidence that death is not the end, but the gate to eternal life with God. But every day we have the opportunity to commit our spirits to the Lord. The journey of life takes us down many uncertain paths. Things happen over which we have little control. The only way forward is to place our complete trust in God, believing God is present and God knows what is best for us. The way may be uncertain, but God is there. I believe that to be as true for each day of life I am given as it is true when the time of death comes. Committing our spirits to God is a daily act that brings the comfort and hope of God's presence and guidance.
We do not need to be on our deathbed to commit our spirits to God. When that time comes, I hope I can give my life up to God in the same way Jesus does. Because Jesus died and rose, I can have complete confidence that death is not the end, but the gate to eternal life with God. But every day we have the opportunity to commit our spirits to the Lord. The journey of life takes us down many uncertain paths. Things happen over which we have little control. The only way forward is to place our complete trust in God, believing God is present and God knows what is best for us. The way may be uncertain, but God is there. I believe that to be as true for each day of life I am given as it is true when the time of death comes. Committing our spirits to God is a daily act that brings the comfort and hope of God's presence and guidance.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Day 35- Paid in Full
Tonight Kansas plays Kentucky in the Division 1 NCAA basketball finals. 68 teams began the tournament a month ago. Tonight a champion is crowned and the tournament is finished for another year. As a former basketball player, I enjoy watching some of the games, and will definitely be watching tonight. I also know that what sets apart great players from average ones is their ability to finish off plays. Michael Jordan, for example, was a great finisher. He got the job done when the game was on the line.
There was no greater finisher than Jesus. He was asked to do something infinitely more difficult than finishing a basketball game. He was asked to take the world's sin upon himself and in the process, suffer and die. He was asked to put complete trust in God the Father, that the Father's will would be accomplished through him. Today, Jesus finishes. "It is finished!," he cries out from the cross. Our debt of sin is paid in full.
I've been privileged to be present on many occasions when a person's life has come to an end and they rest at peace with God. The suffering ends and the new, eternal life begins. There is a profound sense of peace in that moment. For Jesus, all that suffering now ends. Given what we've read about all he has gone through, I feel almost a sense of relief for him as he cries out, "It is finished." His suffering is over. He is set free from all that has wounded him. And, at the same time, new life is now made possible for us. Today I thank Jesus for finishing the extremely difficult task he was asked to do for me.
There was no greater finisher than Jesus. He was asked to do something infinitely more difficult than finishing a basketball game. He was asked to take the world's sin upon himself and in the process, suffer and die. He was asked to put complete trust in God the Father, that the Father's will would be accomplished through him. Today, Jesus finishes. "It is finished!," he cries out from the cross. Our debt of sin is paid in full.
I've been privileged to be present on many occasions when a person's life has come to an end and they rest at peace with God. The suffering ends and the new, eternal life begins. There is a profound sense of peace in that moment. For Jesus, all that suffering now ends. Given what we've read about all he has gone through, I feel almost a sense of relief for him as he cries out, "It is finished." His suffering is over. He is set free from all that has wounded him. And, at the same time, new life is now made possible for us. Today I thank Jesus for finishing the extremely difficult task he was asked to do for me.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
The Sixth Sunday in Lent- Palm/Passion Sunday
Palm Sunday begins with a note of triumph as we recreate the scene of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey, with crowds waving palm branches and crying out, "Hosanna in the Highest!" But just like the final week in Jesus' life, the mood quickly changes as those same crowds, influenced by the religious leaders of the day, quickly turn against Jesus. Our focus turns to our Lord's "passion" or "suffering" for us.
Once each year, on Palm/Passion Sunday, we read the entire passion story from one of the gospels, as a congregational reading. This year the reading is from the Gospel of Mark. I think it is important to do this, for so seldom do we take the time to actually read the whole story of our Lord's suffering for us. This prepares us in a significant way for the triumph of the resurrection ye to come.
Mark's passion account begins with chapter 14:1and ends at 15:47. Mark's gospel is the shortest of the four gospels. Like the rest of his gospel, his passion story is lean and taut and moves quickly from the plot to arrest Jesus to his crucifixion and burial. Two major themes run through the entire passion story--one focusing on Jesus who with intense determination gives his life for others; the other, on those who surround Jesus, some withering in the cross of suffering, some exemplifying faith and courage.
There are six "scenes" in the passion account:
Mark 14:1-11 Fidelity and betrayal
14:12-31 The Final Passover
14:32-52 Gethsemane: Prayer and Arrest
14:53-72 Confession and Denial: Interrogation by the Sanhedrin
15:1-20 The Roman Trial before Pilate
15: 21-47 The Crucifixion and Burial
Throughout this account we see the faithful resolve of Jesus to carry out the Father's will, even when so many desert him. What seems like folly to the masses is really God at work to save the world. The new kingdom of forgiveness and grace is breaking in. The veil of the temple is torn in two, and faith is ignited in the Roman centurion who declares, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" His body is laid in the tomb, under the watchful eyes of Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses. Although his disciples failed him, these faithful women did not. Soon, they would be the first declare the good news of the gospel, the resurrection of our Lord from the dead.
(note: Portions of these comments are from the writings of Donald Senior, a Roman Catholic priest of the order of Passionist Fathers, whose primary focus in on the accounts of Christ's passion. See http://www.cptryon.org/xpipassio/passio/index.html
Once each year, on Palm/Passion Sunday, we read the entire passion story from one of the gospels, as a congregational reading. This year the reading is from the Gospel of Mark. I think it is important to do this, for so seldom do we take the time to actually read the whole story of our Lord's suffering for us. This prepares us in a significant way for the triumph of the resurrection ye to come.
Mark's passion account begins with chapter 14:1and ends at 15:47. Mark's gospel is the shortest of the four gospels. Like the rest of his gospel, his passion story is lean and taut and moves quickly from the plot to arrest Jesus to his crucifixion and burial. Two major themes run through the entire passion story--one focusing on Jesus who with intense determination gives his life for others; the other, on those who surround Jesus, some withering in the cross of suffering, some exemplifying faith and courage.
There are six "scenes" in the passion account:
Mark 14:1-11 Fidelity and betrayal
14:12-31 The Final Passover
14:32-52 Gethsemane: Prayer and Arrest
14:53-72 Confession and Denial: Interrogation by the Sanhedrin
15:1-20 The Roman Trial before Pilate
15: 21-47 The Crucifixion and Burial
Throughout this account we see the faithful resolve of Jesus to carry out the Father's will, even when so many desert him. What seems like folly to the masses is really God at work to save the world. The new kingdom of forgiveness and grace is breaking in. The veil of the temple is torn in two, and faith is ignited in the Roman centurion who declares, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" His body is laid in the tomb, under the watchful eyes of Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses. Although his disciples failed him, these faithful women did not. Soon, they would be the first declare the good news of the gospel, the resurrection of our Lord from the dead.
(note: Portions of these comments are from the writings of Donald Senior, a Roman Catholic priest of the order of Passionist Fathers, whose primary focus in on the accounts of Christ's passion. See http://www.cptryon.org/xpipassio/passio/index.html
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Day 34- I Thirst
The death of Jesus on the cross was close at hand. He is physically thirsty. His body had been through so much from the time of his arrest until these final moments, he would have had to be nearly completely dehydrated. We may not be able to relate to all the pain and suffering Jesus experienced that led to this moment, but we have all known the feeling of being thirsty.
But his thirst was not only physical. There was the spiritual thirst for God the Father. As in yesterday's devotion, we remember that as Jesus took upon himself our sin and the death we deserved, he felt separated from the Father. He thirsted for God. He longed for that relationship that was being broken by the world's sin.
Because of the cross and resurrection, Jesus is the "living water" for us. There are times when we feel all dried up spiritually. We thirst for God. The good news is that we only need to give our lives over to God once again, and we can be filled with the living water Jesus offers us.
This also reminds me that many people throughout the world are thirsty all the time. Clean, safe drinking water is a luxury many people simply do not have. In my three visits to Tanzania in East Africa, it was shocking to me to see people getting their drinking water from dirty rivers or, worse yet, muddy wells they had dug. I'm grateful for those organizations that are able to work with the people to provide clean drinking water and to educate people about the importance of clean water. Water issues are critical here in the dry state of Utah as well. Without an adequate clean water supply, life as we know it would not be possible.
As we think about the words of Jesus on the cross, "I thirst," let us pray that we might be spiritually refreshed this day. Let us also pray we might be made aware of the critical issues surrounding the limited water supply on our planet and do our part to make clean water possible for others.
But his thirst was not only physical. There was the spiritual thirst for God the Father. As in yesterday's devotion, we remember that as Jesus took upon himself our sin and the death we deserved, he felt separated from the Father. He thirsted for God. He longed for that relationship that was being broken by the world's sin.
Because of the cross and resurrection, Jesus is the "living water" for us. There are times when we feel all dried up spiritually. We thirst for God. The good news is that we only need to give our lives over to God once again, and we can be filled with the living water Jesus offers us.
This also reminds me that many people throughout the world are thirsty all the time. Clean, safe drinking water is a luxury many people simply do not have. In my three visits to Tanzania in East Africa, it was shocking to me to see people getting their drinking water from dirty rivers or, worse yet, muddy wells they had dug. I'm grateful for those organizations that are able to work with the people to provide clean drinking water and to educate people about the importance of clean water. Water issues are critical here in the dry state of Utah as well. Without an adequate clean water supply, life as we know it would not be possible.
As we think about the words of Jesus on the cross, "I thirst," let us pray that we might be spiritually refreshed this day. Let us also pray we might be made aware of the critical issues surrounding the limited water supply on our planet and do our part to make clean water possible for others.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Day 33- My God, Why?
It's interesting to me that when Jesus is most alone, in his greatest agony, he quotes scripture. "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me" are the words of Psalm 22:1. Jesus remembers this Psalm and identifies with it while dying on the cross for us. This is one reason it is good to memorize portions of scripture, or at least be familiar with important sections. We can turn to them in our time of need.
Jesus feels forsaken because he has taken the world's sin upon himself. He feels totally alone. He is totally alone. "Why?" he asks. "Where are you Father?" he was likely thinking. There have certainly been times when I've asked the "Why?" question. There have certainly been times I've wondered, "Where are you, God?" I find some comfort in that even Jesus asked "Why?" while dying on the cross for us. I guess it's OK for me to ask "Why?" as well.
The good news is that because Christ died on the cross and rose from the tomb, we don't ever have to feel alone again. We certainly will face times of loneliness. We are made for relationships. When something happens that takes those relationships away, we feel it deeply within. But God does not leave us. In our Baptism and in our daily walk of faith, God is there. Jesus willingly became forsaken from the Father, so we do not have to be. If you're feeling lonely today, take a moment to turn to God in prayer. Pray that He will fill you with His presence. Pray that God will bring the right people into your life, to befriend you and relieve that loneliness. As the old hymn proclaims, "What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer" He is there to listen and be a friend like no other.
Jesus feels forsaken because he has taken the world's sin upon himself. He feels totally alone. He is totally alone. "Why?" he asks. "Where are you Father?" he was likely thinking. There have certainly been times when I've asked the "Why?" question. There have certainly been times I've wondered, "Where are you, God?" I find some comfort in that even Jesus asked "Why?" while dying on the cross for us. I guess it's OK for me to ask "Why?" as well.
The good news is that because Christ died on the cross and rose from the tomb, we don't ever have to feel alone again. We certainly will face times of loneliness. We are made for relationships. When something happens that takes those relationships away, we feel it deeply within. But God does not leave us. In our Baptism and in our daily walk of faith, God is there. Jesus willingly became forsaken from the Father, so we do not have to be. If you're feeling lonely today, take a moment to turn to God in prayer. Pray that He will fill you with His presence. Pray that God will bring the right people into your life, to befriend you and relieve that loneliness. As the old hymn proclaims, "What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer" He is there to listen and be a friend like no other.
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