Forgiveness through Jesus

in ,

God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.
– 2 Corinthians 5:19

The month of February holds the day that often makes or breaks relationships: Valentine’s Day! It’s a day of engagement rings, flowers, dinners, and the hope for returned affections. For all the happiness of Valentine’s Day, it’s also bittersweet. For every happy or newly engaged or blissfully married couple, you can find someone who is sadly alone, someone who longs to be loved, someone going through a devastating break-up. No wonder the game is, “He loves me…He loves me not.”

Imagine if the pressure of Valentine’s Day was off. Imagine there was no doubt about how that special someone felt about you. Imagine that person did what the Bible says, “Love keeps no record of wrongs.”

We have to imagine, because our experience is that human love is conditional. It is usually based on how people look, or what they have, or how they treat us. As a result, we are led to think that God is the same. We think that he loves us if we’re lovable. We assume that he loves us if we show our love to him. The truth is that God loves us not because of who we are or what we do. The Bible clearly describes God’s amazing love by what he has done for us: “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.”

Honestly, we have to admit that there are all kinds of sins on our record before God. Our attempts at love throughout life—failures, breakups, lies, adulteries, divorces—all are an astonishing record of wrong. God ought to oppose us. But in amazing love, God doesn’t count our sins against us. That means that he doesn’t keep a record of all our actions, thoughts and words that violate his holy will.

God doesn’t keep a record of our sins because of Jesus. God took all our sins, the sins of everyone, and charged them to his Son. In our place Jesus willingly and lovingly suffered the punishment of death that we and all people deserved. This is the great love that God has for us…for you! Through Jesus Christ, our relationship with God is restored and by faith in Jesus we will enjoy the blessing of his love forever.

In our relationship with God, it’s not “He loves me…He loves me not.” In Christ, it is always, “He loves me…He loves me…He loves me.”

Jesus in the Temple

Grew up in Nazareth

in ,

The Bible tells us about Jesus’ miraculous conception and his birth in Bethlehem. We’re told that afterward, because of threats to Jesus’ life, Mary and Joseph had to take Jesus to Egypt for a time, then later the family returned to the land of Israel. (See Matthew 2.) Surprisingly, the Bible is silent about the rest of Jesus’ growing years—except for one incident when Jesus was 12 years old. His parents traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover (one of three important religious festivals devout Jews were required to observe each year). Jesus—and many others—traveled with them. After the Passover, they began the journey home.

Unknown to them, Jesus had remained in Jerusalem, where he was spending the time in the temple, learning. When his parents discovered he was missing, they rushed back to Jerusalem, anxiously searching for him. When they found him, Jesus, he gently reminded them that he wasn’t just an ordinary 12-year-old. He was also the Son of God: “Why were you searching for me? … Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49).

But then comes the amazing part. He heads back to their home town, Nazareth, and we’re told that Jesus “was obedient to them” (Luke 2:51). Imagine! The true God, the all-powerful one, the wise one, gave obedience to human parents! He listened to—and obeyed—human beings! They should have been obeying him! Yet he obeyed them! WHY? Why would the true God give obedience to human parents?

Here’s why—it’s what we needed him to do. You see, God’s standard to enter heaven is perfection. God doesn’t say, “Do the best you can,” God doesn’t say, “Try hard, I’ll overlook the rest.” God does say, “Be perfect … as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

Perfect? Yes, perfect. That’s God’s demand. And no matter how hard we try, you and I don’t match up. So what did we need? We needed a Savior who could live a human life. Because Jesus was human he could live a human life; because he was God he could live that life perfectly, and live it in your place. In other words, because Jesus is true man and true God, the life he lived has been credited to you.

So as we watch Jesus obeying his parents, he’s not just doing that for himself; he’s doing that in your place. As we see him showing perfect love for his fellow humans, he’s not just doing that for himself—he’s doing that in your place. We couldn’t do it—he did it! The results? Now God can look at you and me who believe in him and say, “You’re perfect! You’re holy!” No, not because you were or are, but because Jesus lived a perfect life—in your place—and God has graciously credited that to your account.

Jesus DID it! For me! For you!

Holy Communion

in ,

The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” – 1 Corinthians 11:23-25

Often we have a hard time believing that we are loved. Men and women who have a keen awareness of their flaws will wonder if anyone can really love them. So we have a need to not only hear that we are loved, but also to receive tangible assurance of that love.

If we need that assurance from our fellow human beings, how much more do we need that assurance in our relationship to God?

God knows us so well. He knows how we feel. He knows what we need. Not only does he tell us in his Word that he loves us, he also gives us personal assurance of that love.

How does he do that? He does so in what Christians call Holy Communion or The Lord’s Supper. In this special meal Jesus gives us bread that isn’t just bread. He tells us, “This is my body.” He also gives us wine to drink that isn’t just wine. He says, “This is my blood.”

Now before anyone gets grossed out, this isn’t some kind of weird cannibalism. It’s bread and wine that looks, smells, and tastes like bread and wine. Yet, in a way that we can’t perceive or comprehend, Jesus tells us that with the bread and wine, his body and blood are really present in this Supper.

Here’s why this is such a great gift. You may think, “I know that Jesus forgives all those other people out there, but I’m not really sure that he can forgive me.” In Holy Communion, Jesus comes to you personally and says, “I love you. Your sins are all forgiven. You want proof? Here’s the price I paid for you on the cross. This is my body which was sacrificed for you. This is my blood which I shed for you.”

Whenever we receive the Lord’s Supper, we remember Jesus’ saving, self-sacrificing love for us, and we personally receive not only assurance of that love, but we also receive his forgiveness.

Know the Truth

in ,

“Your word is truth.” – John 17:17

Human beings have never stopped desiring to search for the truth. And who can blame us?

As we swim our way through life, so often we find ourselves in deep water over our heads, water that has a muddy bottom which is sometimes slimy and threatens to trap our feet. What could feel better than to finally touch a smooth, solid, rock bottom where we can plant our feet and rest, keep our heads above water, catch our breath?

God’s word is rock-solid truth. That’s how Jesus described it. He was speaking to his heavenly Father in prayer when he said, “Your word is truth.” Though such a simple statement, it is a profound reality. The Son of God, Jesus Christ, testifies that the word of God the heavenly Father is truth!

It’s hard sometimes to hear the truth. It can cause us to hang our head in shame and even cringe with fear. Truth that God tells us is every bit as difficult to hear. He tells us the truth that we are sinful. The sin that swirls around in our heads and floods our hearts is devastating. Sin brings death—every kind of isolating, slimy, feet-trapping death, including the eternal kind.

God tells us the truth about sin so that we are willing to listen to a more important truth. The truth that his Son, Jesus Christ, came and lived the perfect life required of those who want God to care about them in this life and save them for the life to come. The truth that he died the perfect death on the cross that completely paid for sin. The truth that he rose again to prove he had done everything that is necessary for our salvation. The truth that he did this for every sinful human being. He did it to give us a firm foundation for life—a blessed life with God now and forever.

And do you know how God gives us everything Jesus earned for us by his life, death, and resurrection? Through his rock-solid word.

And that’s the truth!

Begins his ministry

in ,

What if Thomas Edison had invented the light bulb and then had not told anyone about it? How foolish that would have been! Great things need to be shared!

The greatest “thing” this world has ever received is God’s gift of a Savior—and God wanted people to know it. So, when Jesus was thirty years old, he began to make himself known in a public, attention-getting manner, so all could share the benefits!

It started when Jesus went to John the Baptist. John was ministering at the Jordan River when Jesus arrived. John baptized Jesus, and as he did, God the Father spoke from heaven, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love” (Matthew 3:17). At the same time God the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove. This was the Father’s and Holy Spirit’s way of officially, dramatically pointing to Jesus and saying, “This is the one. This is the Savior.”

Then Jesus began to gather a group of followers. But how were they to know that he was really the true God, that he really was the Savior? Jesus would have to make it known to them, with words and actions. He did it by doing things that only God can do. He performed real miracles.

His first miracle took place at a wedding in a town called Cana. Weddings were major events, sometimes lasting for days, and the host family was expected to provide everything for their guests, sometimes even changes of clothing! Unfortunately, this wedding was running out of wine—what an embarrassment! That’s when Jesus stepped in. He told the servants to fill six large jars with water (each held 20–30 gallons). Then, Jesus ordered them to draw some out and take it to the person who was overseeing the banquet. When he tasted it, the water had been changed into wine! Not only so, but the master of the banquet called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine … but you have saved the best till now” (John 2:10).

What a powerful effect this first miracle had on Jesus’ disciples! How did this affect those people whom Jesus had called to follow him? We’re told that “His disciples put their faith in him” (John 2:11). Wouldn’t you have done so as well? But maybe we wonder—was this a one-time thing? A fluke? Keep reading!

Living with Real Purpose

in ,

We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do. – Ephesians 2:10

Your life matters. You are living for a reason. Your life has purpose. Without purpose, life is boring and meaningless; there is little sense of life’s significance and value. Having a life filled with purpose is not just for the super-successful and highly important. God doesn’t just look after famous people who have accomplished great feats or individuals who have been placed in high positions of leadership. He cares for everyone. From the macro to the micro level, he declared his love for the world. There is no doubt, he loves you and gives your life real purpose. He does all this, not because you are deserving, but purely by his grace.

God demonstrated his grace when he saved you through your Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus’ perfect life counts for you. He suffered and died as your substitute. His rising from the grave means that you will also rise from the dead. And since he has saved you for all eternity—the greater thing—does he not also have great purpose for you in this life, the lesser thing? Yes! What is more, God says that he has created you to do what he has already planned for you. With every task and responsibility God has given your life purpose.

There is purpose in the mother who cares for her newborn and the father who teaches his son to double-knot his shoelaces. There is purpose in children who obey, just as there is purpose for the soldier who follows orders, the citizen who respects leaders, and the employee who goes to work.

Even your average day has purpose, for God has equipped and called you for each task of life. He does not intend life to be mundane mediocrity. Life is not meant to be compartmentalized into significant and insignificant pieces. Instead, God wants you to see his purpose for you as the fiber seamlessly woven through fabric of every facet of your life.

You have important purpose in life. Primarily, it is to know God’s love for you through Jesus. Motivated by his grace, you can willingly follow his lead through life and lovingly serve the people he brings into your life. That’s living with real purpose!

Served the people

in ,

“Okay, so you did it once. That could be a fluke; do it again!” That’s reasonable. When scientists do a study which makes a significant find, immediately they want to re-do it, to make sure that it wasn’t a fluke. If we find the same thing consistently, then we say, “This isn’t a fluke, it’s a fact.”

Perhaps we’d wonder if Jesus’ first miracle—changing water into wine—was a fluke. So, Jesus did MANY miracles. For example, one time a group of 5,000 men, plus women and children, gathered to hear him. As evening came, Jesus told the disciples that they should feed the crowd. The disciples were stunned; how could they feed so many? They found one boy who had five loaves of bread and two small fish. What they considered a loaf of bread we would now consider a tortilla. It was about the size of a bagel. From that, Jesus fed the whole multitude! Then, a few months later, he fed another crowd of 4,000-plus. And we’re just scratching the surface. Jesus cured blindness, deafness, leprosy. He drove out demons, calmed storms. And perhaps most impressive, Jesus raised several people from the dead. Wow. This is no fluke! But we would fall short if we didn’t explore why Jesus did these things.

One time Jesus was teaching in a house when some men brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus. Because of the crowd, they couldn’t get to Jesus, so they climbed up on the roof, made an opening, and lowered their friend through it. Jesus’ first words were, “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5 NIV).

The religious leaders were angered: “He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7 NIV). Jesus then asked, “Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’?” (Mark 2:9 NIV). For a “normal” human being both would be impossible. But for God? Well, he could do both. So, if Jesus could heal the paralytic, that would prove that he could also forgive his sins. And that’s exactly the point Jesus makes: “‘But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . .’ He said to the paralytic, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’ He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all” (Mark 2:10-12 NIV). Jesus healed him; therefore, Jesus could also forgive him.

And there we see the ultimate point of Jesus’ miracles. Each of those miracles said, Look at me! I have the ability and the authority to DO what you NEED! I have the ability and authority to FORGIVE you, to declare you innocent!” And as we look at all those miracles? We’re led to conclude, “This is no fluke! It’s a fact!”

I need a break!

in ,

Once the kids are born the time demands never seem to end. It starts with the 3 am feeding. Next we have teething and earaches. We run the daily rat race from home to daycare to work to daycare to home to bed. And that’s a slow day without tee-ball, soccer or dance class! My life revolves around my children. I don’t have any time to myself.

Do you feel this way? Have your family concerns and obligations sapped your strength? Take heart, you are not alone!

One of the toughest lessons for me to learn as a parent was that taking quiet time for myself does not mean that I don’t love my children. As a matter of fact, taking time to be alone can be one of the best things I can do for my family. I learned this truth from Jesus.

Many times in the Bible, like in Matthew 14:13, we see that Jesus took time for himself. This verse says “Jesus withdrew privately to a solitary place.” Jesus is the perfect Son of God who gave his life on the cross for mine, yet he took time on this earth be alone and pray to his Father in heaven. We don’t need to feel guilty when we do the same.

I understand now that I need to take time alone. I am a parent, yet I am God’s child. I need time to be held by him. I need time to hear how much he loves me. I need time to talk to him. I need time to listen to him. Spending time alone with my Father in heaven gives me strength. He is my perfect parent and a model for me to follow. Spend time alone with him you will find the same.

Transfiguration

Suffered for all

in ,

One time Jesus took three of his disciples to the top of a mountain. We read, “There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. . . . A bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. ‘Get up,’ he said. ‘Don’t be afraid.’ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, ‘Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead'” (Matthew 17:2-9 NIV selections).

Wait a minute! Did you get that last part, the part about “rising from the dead”? Can you imagine how the disciples must have scratched their heads at that? They’d just seen Jesus’ glory, his power! How could one who was SO powerful…die? Who could cause it to happen?

Finally, only one person could really control it—Jesus himself. And that’s exactly what Jesus did. When the time was right, Jesus went to Jerusalem. He entered Jerusalem on Sunday, in a very public way. On Thursday of that week, Jesus celebrated the Passover (check out Exodus 12,13) with his disciples and told them that one of them would betray him, another would deny him. Then he took them out to a garden called Gethsemane.

While Jesus was there with his disciples, Judas—who had been one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, led a large band of soldiers to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus asked them for whom they were looking, and when they responded that they were looking for him, Jesus said, “I am he.” As he said this the whole band of soldiers was knocked flat on their backs! (John 18:1).

They scrambled to their feet. Then Peter, another of Jesus’ twelve disciples, grabbed a sword and cut off the ear of one of the high priest’s servant. Jesus rebuked Peter, then touched the man’s ear and healed it (Luke 22:50).

What would all these things have said to the people? They would have said, or at least SHOULD have said, “Hey—this Jesus—he’s not just an ordinary human being; he’s much more than that!”

But what is even more amazing is what we read at the end: “Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him …” (John 18:12). Why could they do that? Why could they bind him?

Only because he allowed it. It could happen—it DID happen—only because Jesus allowed it to happen.

Do we begin to see the depth of Jesus’ love for us? Just think, he—the all-powerful one—was willing to allow himself to be taken captive, to be bound. That’s how much he loves us…loves you!

 

Purpose of the Bible

in ,

Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. – Romans 15:4

Every book has a purpose. Whether it’s a cookbook, music book, history book, novel, science book, biography, or even a comic book, every book has a reason. So what is the purpose of the best-selling book in the world, the Bible?

The Bible imparts wisdom, and has been used in many lands during various ages as a key educational textbook. While this is useful, it is not the real purpose of the Bible.

The Bible proclaims the Creator’s natural law for his creatures. Guided by its directives, people can live productive and happy lives, caring about others. While this is very beneficial, it is not the real purpose of the Bible.

Many claim the Bible teaches us how to live according to God’s commands so we can gain his favor. This common misunderstanding is certainly not the purpose of the Bible. Rather, the Bible clearly proclaims and demonstrates that we cannot keep God’s commands to gain his favor for salvation.

God’s answer to this dilemma is the REAL purpose of the Bible. According to his eternal plan God sent his own perfect Son, Jesus, to live in obedience to all of God’s commands, and to suffer the punishment for our wrongs against God’s commands by his death on the cross. Jesus gained God’s favor for all of us!

The apostle Paul wrote, “Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

Just before this verse, Paul quoted from what was written in the past, about a thousand years before Jesus was born: “The insults of those who insult you fall on me” (Psalm 69:9). Paul described how that Psalm verse speaks of Jesus Christ, who did not come to please himself, but came to do the Father’s will. In his suffering and death Jesus voluntarily bore all people’s hostility toward God.

This is the amazing purpose of the Bible. It points to Jesus Christ and describes in detail his work of salvation. It is God’s word. It is his eternal plan of salvation for sinners. This is what truly teaches us, encourages us, grants us endurance and hope! This is THE purpose of the Bible—to show sinners their salvation in Jesus Christ alone. So great is God’s love for us!