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FAITH . . . HOPE . . . WHAT IS THE CONFUSION?

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

I have been attending a Bible study that has been most revealing in regard to what I believe. This study group, which is for men only, is called, “The Barn Brothers.” If you believe that variety is the spice of life, you will find it here. These men come from all walks of life, different faiths, and previous lifestyles including addictions to drugs, pornography, etc. Some of our study stretches what is taught in the Reformed faith. When I ask, “Are you sure of your eternal destiny?” I get the reply, “I hope so.” When the discussion centers around events in their lives, they will say, “My faith goes up and down depending on how things are going.”

What is Biblical faith and hope? Faith is the sure knowledge that God will give us what He promised in scripture, like eternal life for all those who believe in the saving works of Christ. Then what is hope? Hope is the expectation of those things which faith has believed to be truly promised by God. So faith believes in the truthfulness of God; hope expects the manifestation of it in due time. (Calvin’s Institutes)

The Lenten season, which culminates in Easter, is a time when we can contemplate, pray, and open our heart to our Heavenly Father. I know that I am His child because Christ paid the ultimate price, died, descended into hell, and rose again. By faith, I can live in the assurance that someday, when I die, I will rise again and have Christ as my mediator to declare me “not guilty” before my heavenly Father. This is why I have hope that all these promises will surely happen, and I will eternally be a son of God.
—Francis Lieuwen

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A REMINDER

“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13 (ESV)

A few months ago I was embarking on my busiest season at work. Every December my company hosts a three day sales conference which averages about 275 attendees. I am in charge of planning and executing many phases of this conference, and things can get very stressful. As I became engaged in my duties, I jotted down “Philippians 4:13” on an index label and stuck it above the monitor of my laptop. I wanted to remind myself that I would get through this, not on my own strength, but on the power of the Holy Spirit. Eventually, though, the label became as common to my eye as the keys on my keyboard. I knew it was there but did not give it much thought—until the last day of the conference.

The daytime events had concluded, and I was still at the conference center. Almost everyone had boarded the buses heading back to the host hotel for the awards banquet. Only those who were dismantling the displays and loading equipment remained. I was working on my laptop quickly trying to finish my wrap-up presentation, when John, a coworker, came in and saw the note on my laptop.

He asked, “What verse is that?” I had to think a moment before I realized to what he was referring. I told him, and this led to a brief conversation about how he was not very familiar with many verses because he had only recently dedicated his life to Christ. His story really uplifted me. I had always known John as a very nice guy, but now I knew him as a brother in Christ.

As for me, I had become accustomed to that label above my monitor. God used John, a new believer, to bring it back to my attention. I was familiar with it, but maybe too familiar to consider it with the wonder that I once did. Now when I think of the verse, I realize that not only can I do everything in Christ who strengthens me, but so can John and all of my other brothers and sisters in the Spirit. Praise God for blessing us and strengthening us through each other!
—Erin Meyer

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GOD’S REWARDS

“A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.” Proverbs 28:20 (NIV)

I am not a very patient person; and the first time I read this verse, I chuckled because it really applies to me.

I often struggle to wait for God to help me. There are many times that I want God to help me instantly, and I become frustrated when it does not work. God does not give in to our wants, but instead helps us when we are willing to accept His help.

God wants to help us and has many blessings in store for us, but the blessings gained from obedience are rewards.

Only when the lesson is complete and we have been obedient will God reward us. Every attempt to gain God’s blessings and rewards when we have not been obedient will only result in frustration.
—Katherine Eshom

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I WILL REJOICE

“This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (ESV)

This verse ran through my mind one September morning in 2000 as I was recovering from surgery. I had been diagnosed with breast cancer. I repeated the verse, this time changing “Let us” to “I will.” I said it again; this time I emphasized, “I WILL.” I repeated it once more, this time with even more resolve, “I WILL REJOICE!” I had made my choice. As I reflected on what lay ahead of me—more surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments—I would choose to rejoice and be glad in the midst of all that I would face.

God knew everything that would happen to me—every challenge I would face, every blessing He would send my way. It was my choice to have a good attitude or a self-pitying attitude as I faced the next nine months. I chose to be glad—to be thankful that there was a cure; that I had a great doctor and wonderful nurses; that I had friends who were willing to drive me to my treatments, who offered to bring meals, who prayed for my family and me, who sent cards, brought gifts, and called often. I was glad that my mother brought lots of homemade soup, always at the right time. I was glad that my family was loving and supportive. I had much reason to rejoice.

Each day is a gift from God. It may present any number of trials; but it is still His handiwork. My faith has grown the most as I have faced pain and suffering; and I have found that God sends blessings in the midst of our struggles. I pray I will always have eyes to see the blessings—and to rejoice and be glad.
—Joyce Tedford

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MARKS OF A TRUE CHRISTIAN

“⁹Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. ¹⁰Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. ¹¹Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. ¹²Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. ¹³Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” Romans 12:9-13 (ESV)

Sometimes when I read passages like this one, I want to check off what I am doing right and conveniently overlook the rest. It is a no-brainer to abhor evil; and loving my Christian brothers and sisters is easy too—at least most of the time. Am I slothful in zeal? I looked up the definition of these two words, and they mean lazy about passion. In this case, I believe the passion is for Christ and His Word. Am I learning enough from the Bible about what He would have me do and how He would have me live? I strive to rejoice in hope and be patient in tribulation. When things go badly and I do not know where they will lead, patience is usually the last thing on my mind. This is when I need to be constant in prayer; but it is the last thing I feel like doing.

Every way I turn, I fall short of these marks of a Christian; but I am thankful that Christ’s death and resurrection covers these sins. During this season of Lent and looking toward Easter, I rejoice that Jesus has secured my salvation; and He has placed His mark upon me.
—Becky Powell

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AT THE PROPER TIME

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 (NIV)

Sometimes we become weary and want to give up because we are not currently reaping what we are currently sowing. We forget that it takes time for something to grow before one can reap. Let me give an example. A man was unfaithful to his wife for years. When the truth was finally discovered, his wife was devastated and filed for divorce. When his church found out, they asked him to step down from an office he held. He was furious with the reactions of both his wife and his church because, after all, he had confessed his sin and repented. Why could life not go on as before? What he failed to see was that, although he was now sowing new, good seed, he was still reaping that which had been previously sown.

We, too, can get weary sowing good seed and waiting for the good harvest because, while sowing good seed, we may still be reaping from a past sowing of bad seed, either ours or someone else’s. That is why God encourages us with this verse. It is very difficult to continue behaving in the new way when people are still treating you like the old person. Our human reaction is to say, “Fine, then. If they still want to treat me the old way, then I might as well go back to my old behavior. What’s the use?” That is pagan thinking. This verse reminds us, if we give up sowing good seed, we will never reap the good harvest. We are reminded that reaping a bad harvest is one of the consequences of sin. Our loving and forgiving God gives us sufficient grace to persevere and not give up.

What, then, are we to do when we become weary in doing good? We are told in I Corinthians 15:58 to be steadfast and immovable since we know that our labor in the Lord is never in vain. Even the negative consequences we face from bad sowing are part of the “all things” God will work together for good. Hebrews 12:1-3 tells us to persevere and fix our eyes on Jesus so we will not grow weary and lose heart. Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary . . . and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

During Lent, we are reminded of the price Jesus paid so we could have rest from our weariness and the strength to persevere. Let us offer Him our grateful praise!
—Wendy Detroy

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BRINGING THE MESSAGE OF HOPE TO THE HINDUS

“That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” Ephesians 2:12 (NKJV)

My first venture into a Third World country occurred during my visit to India a few years ago. I was there to view the work of the India Gospel League (IGL). Driving from the airport and to various ministry areas, I witnessed driving like I had never seen before. One’s safety depended upon the vehicle’s horn. There were trucks, cars, scooters, bicycles, and ox carts. I saw a mother sitting sidesaddle on a scooter with a child on her lap while her husband drove with a young child on the handle bars. The horn blast was to alert them that we were right behind them without having him turn around, because he needed to keep his attention ahead on any one of those vehicles coming at him on his side of the road. At dinner, I asked Becky, our guide and translator, how did the people dare go on the road with that much danger? Her answer was, that in their country, with its masses, people learn to live in very close proximity to one another, even on the road, and that they were fatalists. Hindus are fatalistic, and fatalism is antithetical to hope.

In the village, which ECC helped to adopt, bits of bright memorial objects are placed in veneration around a termite hill, about three feet high, in which dwells a cobra. This is an act of worship. Into this milieu of idol worship, poverty, lack of any medical care, illiteracy, and unemployment, IGL is bringing hope. Hope is taking many forms. Young women are learning tailoring skills to earn a living by going to the cities and hopefully escape the ever-present caste system. Micro loans are providing a means of making a living in the village. Preschool children are learning English and Bible stories. The greatest form of hope is a rapidly growing Christian presence, bringing the gospel of hope and a new Life Center in which to worship.

The risen Christ of Easter is the foundation stone of true hope. Paul teaches it this way in I Corinthians 15 where he makes it clear that if Christ is not risen from the dead, there is no hope of eternal life. Praise be to God! He is Risen! The good news is that, in India and in many other countries, this flame of hope is burning more brightly every day.
—Maurie Loomans

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SUFFICIENT GRACE

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” I Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)

I was talking to an acquaintance a few weeks ago, and I asked her about her daughter who has cancer. I was disheartened to learn that she also was born with Down’s syndrome and a very serious heart condition that will require surgery. This child is not yet two years old. I asked the mom how she is able to handle it, and she simply told me that she believes God gives us only what we are able to handle. He has given her the sufficient grace to get through this very trying time. I thought about her testimony and began to think about my own situation.

Recently, my family has been dealing with some very serious issues. I have experienced the full spectrum of emotions from anger and despair to putting my hope and trust in Jesus. I have been tempted on many occasions to hold onto the anger because, after all, I am justified, right? I have been tempted to hold onto despair and feeling sorry for myself; after all, I am entitled to a pity party, right? Wrong and wrong again! I could do these things, but I would be miserable. Even more importantly, I would be giving in to temptation, which is a sin.

God has graciously provided the way of escape countless times through the body of believers to pull me from the pit of despair. They have actively listened, have given gentle reminders to get logs out of my eyes so I can see clearly, have encouraged, have supported, and especially have prayed. One of the priceless things that has happened during this time is that I have gained a deeper understanding of His sovereignty in my life. There is real peace in knowing that nothing can or will happen to me that God does not have in His hands. He has shown me countless times that He is in charge, and He will not give me more than I can handle as I lean on Him. His grace is truly sufficient!

As we reflect on Him during this Lenten season, let us remember that through Him we have been provided with salvation, the ultimate way of escape.
—Jennie Baumgartner

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ON MY HONOR . . .

“Honor your father and your mother. . . ” Exodus 20:12 (ESV)

“Linda—it’s Mom. I’m not doing so good. The nurse is here, but he can’t stay. Can you come over?” I glanced at the clock—2:45 a.m. I willed myself to a more useful consciousness and informed my husband, Jack. “That was Mom. Her blood pressure’s up. She’s dizzy and nauseated, so she’s afraid if she takes her medicines to get her blood pressure down, she’ll just throw up. The nurse gave her something for nausea. I’m going over. Pray we don’t end up in the E.R.” I dressed and drove to Mom’s, grateful I did not have to go to work the next day.

As I drove, I allowed myself a two minute pity party (I am only human) before my thoughts returned to the recurring questions, “Why does this happen?” and “Why can we not control her blood pressure better?” All the while, I hoped she would be starting to feel better by the time I arrived.

Mom and I slogged through the next three to four hours, getting medicine down and her blood pressure with it. With the dizziness and nausea waning, Mom was able to sleep; and I left as the sun was rising with a promise to return later.

When we are young, we are taught to honor our parents and were most often reminded of the commandment when we were being the least compliant. In our limited humanity, we perceive honor as an endless sacrifice, at worst, and a brief inconvenience, at best. As adult children of older parents, the honor is assumed. When the request comes, of course, I will always go—anytime—no question. Jesus knew what it would mean to honor His Father—the sacrifice of perfect obedience. For one night, my path of obedience only took me to College Hill. Jesus’ path led to His sacrificial death on a cross. Follow Him. Seek God’s path for your life, and He will be honored.
—Linda Young

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SHUT MY MOUTH

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29 (ESV)

It was many years ago when I found Ephesians 4:29. I remember praying, “That’s it, Lord. That’s the way I want to be. Those are the kind of words I want to have.”

For many weeks after reading Ephesians 4:29, the Lord opened my ears to hear the junk that came out of my mouth; and I was appalled and ashamed. Next the Lord shut my mouth. I stopped saying the yucky stuff and had nothing to say, often being uncharacteristically quiet. Slowly the silence began to be filled with kind and helpful words. It was a process over many months for my words to change. In fact, it is still in process today. The Lord is gracious, merciful, patient, kind, and continues to gently perfect the work He began in answer to my prayer to have Ephesians 4:29 words. Often I still ask the Lord to put a guard over my mouth and a watch over my lips so that He would fill my mouth with kind and helpful words.

Being careful of what goes in helps a great deal in producing good stuff coming out. As the Lord changed my words, He taught me to be selective about what I read, listen to, and watch. In addition to Ephesians 4:29, I have found other scriptures about the importance of the words I use, especially some verses in Proverbs.

May the Lord give our congregation the courage to open our ears to hear the words we use, and may His grace abound in us so that our church is filled with kind and helpful words that build people up and provide what is needed.
—Jeanne Grigsby

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OUR MEDIATOR

“²⁷Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, ²⁸so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Hebrews 9:27-28 (NIV)

Why the cross? Why Christ? Why death? Questions that non-Christians ask us. Without Christ, we have earned and deserve the death sentence, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 (NIV)

“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.” I John 3:8 (NIV) Therefore, Christ is our suffering mediator.

In Genesis, the references to blood sacrifices are used to explain the first covenant with man. Blood gives us life. Without blood, quite simply, life dies. God demanded sacrifices, hence He provided the perfect sacrifice—His Son. He becomes our sacrificial mediator. Because of this, Christ is our saving mediator. The Son is satisfying the wrath of God through His blood sacrifice. Sin is then removed from us, “as far as the east is from the west.” Psalms 103:12 (NIV)

Christ is our solitary mediator; for there is but one God, one mediator. In the new covenant, Christ mediates on our behalf by offering himself as the atoning sacrifice for sin. He becomes our substitution mediator. Notice in verse 28 it is specifically written, “so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people . . .” Not only has our sin been placed on Jesus, but also He becomes our sufficient mediator. Through His death, “. . . we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:10 (NIV).

The promise of the cross is that He is our sovereign mediator. He rules over all; “After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:3 (NIV) The cross was the worst form of punishment at the time. How humbling for Christ! Yet He bore it so our debt is paid in full. No greater act of mediation has ever occurred! Love provided what love required. Hallelujah!

Prayer: Thank you, God, for providing me a suffering, sacrificial, saving, solitary, substitutionary, sufficient, and sovereign mediator. Amen
—Barb Weidus

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DETOURS

Matthew 11:2-6.
“²Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples ³and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” Matthew 11:2-3 (ESV)

From the beginning, the Bible is a tale of detours. God created man in His image and planned a future of intimacy in the garden; but He saw that intimacy detoured by sin for thousands of years.

Abraham traveled a LONG way to the Promised Land and saw his father die far from home because of his partial disobedience. After he entered the Promised Land, Abraham twice detoured to Egypt because of famine. When Sarah finally bore Isaac, the promised son, they had awaited for over twenty years, Abraham must have thought he was home free. What did he think and feel when God asked him to sacrifice that same son on an altar? What kind of detour was that?

John the Baptist’s birth was miraculous and heralded by angels. The first prophet in 400 years, he recognized Jesus as the promised Deliverer. John surely did not expect to be imprisoned and executed without seeing the Messiah reigning in glory. Why did the Almighty not rescue His obedient son from prison and death?

These detours blindsided even those who clearly had heard from God and were doing His will. How would you have responded? Would you still have followed Him when there seemed to be no logical reason to take this detour?

These last four years have been some of the most difficult of my life. Though last year God fulfilled a more than 30 year vision of using radio to reach China and eventually through webcast Bible studies, my Taiwan seminary students were strangely unresponsive. At last, I had to face the fact that they were so dependent on television and the Internet, they had lost the ability to read and reason deeply. New methods were needed to help them internalize the Bible. Had the last eighteen years been a detour?

Gradually, I began to rejoice, confident that the Map-Maker had not been taken by surprise but still provided a compass in His Word and the Holy Spirit as guide. His Word will not return void, regardless of what media is used.

Jesus’ teaching, death, and resurrection taught the disciples God’s faithfulness to use even apparent detours to bring glory to His name. As we learn to trust Him more, we will not only find Him faithful, but also learn faithfulness ourselves. Like John, we will cry out, “Prepare the way of the Lord”! Matthew 3:3b (ESV)
—Anne Alexander, OMF International, serving in Taiwan since 1981

JESUS REMAINED SILENT

“But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, ‘I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.’” Matthew 26:63 (NIV)

There are many unexpected ways that our Savior demonstrated His perfect character. Let us focus on the first sentence, “But Jesus remained silent.”

Jesus’ silence is in response to false testimony given about Him to the chief priests and the Sanhedrin. The incident is also recounted in Mark 14:60-61. In Matthew 27:12-14, we read of Jesus being accused by the chief priests and elders in front of Pilate. We are told that Jesus made no reply, much to the amazement of Pilate.

Most of us are familiar with these passages, and we may not give them a great deal of thought. Someone reading these passages for the first time would, like Pilate, be surprised that Christ did not respond to even one of the false charges leveled against Him.

Throughout His ministry, Jesus did the unexpected. He asked the woman at the well for a drink of water. He accepted children as important. He ate with tax collectors, outcasts, and sinners. When hauled before the governor and falsely accused, He remained silent.

What are we to make of His silence in the face of false accusations? Is it an example of a specific behavior for us to follow? Probably not. Jesus’ situation was specific to Him since He was the only Son of God who had to endure the cross to secure our salvation. As prophesied many years before, “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth . . . and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” Isaiah 53:7 (NIV) He willingly allowed events to unfold in order to seal our salvation.

On the other hand, we are instructed by scripture that we should be ready to give an answer for the hope that is in us. The apostle Paul presented a vigorous defense when he was accused and taken before authorities.

The perfect response to Jesus’ accusers was not a perfect oral argument, but the evidence of the resurrection. Of course, He knew this. We would have no clue. As we look back from the resurrection, everything in Jesus’ ministry makes perfect sense.

Perhaps some things in your life do not make perfect sense. Lean on the perfection of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. He is the One who responded in the right way in all circumstances and has won the victory over sin, the world, and death. Though He was silent when accused, let us break forth with praise for His glorious perfection.
—Kip Mueller

	LIFTING the LORD
		LIVING the WORD
			LOVING the PEOPLE

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Holy Week

Monday—April 2, 2007

THE ULTIMATE TIME OF THANKSGIVING

“⁵Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. ⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.” Proverbs 3:5-7 (NIV)

Now is the time for observation, praise, and heartfelt thanksgiving. Once again, it is the season which points to the rock of our faith and salvation. Yes, the eternal Person who is our “Easter” is with us always in spirit, love, and truth. It is now that the Christian community unites in celebration of the miracle of God’s love for mankind. A culminating series of events, in Almighty God’s incarnate time with us, provided proof positive of the depth of this love. The sacrifice and rebirth of our Lord Christ stands as God’s supreme act of blessing, for it is, for all of time, filled with mercy, promise, and an eternal hope, by His grace, for all of us.

What a joyous occasion this is! Still, it should be only the crowning peak of thanksgiving upon a mountain of thankfulness that we should hold in our hearts daily for the multitude of God’s blessings we receive. As we keep alive our commitments to the routines of prayer, study of His Word, and silent time with Him, we must remember the reality of these blessings. Begin with what the gift of faith tells us—as rebellious and unworthy as our human nature is—our Holy God, who is offended by our sins, lovingly holds the door open for mankind to reach the path to Him in a true family relationship within His church.

Our lives are of short duration. Time is a precious gift from God—a blessing not to be unappreciated. We must use it to honor God, bless others, and to find ways for our routines to keep us close to God. With Him, there is unselfish purpose, brighter outlooks, and peaceful joy. Distance from God allows evil to pull our lives into an unproductive downward spiral as we struggle to cope. Sin scars us. It brings on emotional storms in our hearts. Allowed to grow, evil may unleash irrational thoughts in our minds, stealing the best of life from us. The choice should be clear. God’s Word tames our most troubling questions and thoughts. Truth is ours to accept. God is! He provides! He commands us to turn to Him! Let us make it the pattern in life. Words have meaning. God’s words mean everything.

Our routines become habits, which turn into patterns in life. In our thoughts, words, and actions (deeds), we must choose wisely.
—Ron Douglas

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THE NECESSITY OF SUFFERING

II Corinthians 1:1-10.
“For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” II Corinthians 1:5 (ESV)

As I am studying the apostle Paul and realizing that suffering is a necessary component of a legitimate Christian life, I ponder death, torture, and disease.

Beginning the letter of II Corinthians, Paul asserts that the purpose of God’s comfort in his sufferings is to strengthen others (verse 4). This comfort is not the modern “sympathy” we envision. “Comfort” here is “fortitude,” that is, God strengthens and equips Paul to contend with insurmountable suffering. God does not always remove our suffering but gives us perseverance to face the unbearable. This is so we do not rely on ourselves but rely on God alone (verse 9).

Verses 5-7 provide the source for Paul’s ability to comfort others. Paul testifies that the sufferings and comfort of Christ overflow to believers. Just as Christ suffered, we suffer; just as Christ received fortitude from God, so do we. Do not miss the significance of this peculiar union! God weaves the sufferings and comfort of Christ into our lives, demonstrating union with Christ. To be in Christ means to suffer with Him! Why? The beauty is when we endure tragedies and horrifying events, we exhibit the sufferings of Christ to the world (Colossians 1:24), namely His gruesome death. When God grants us fortitude and sustains us through sufferings—rather than eliminating the trial—we exhibit the comfort of Christ, His resurrection. We go through life displaying to the world the death and life of Jesus
(II Corinthians 4:10-11).

In the greater context of II Corinthians, Paul defends the legitimacy of his apostleship by explaining that suffering is actually a mark of true faith. This is why Paul gloried in his sufferings! He held onto deep and soul-quenching hope in the midst of his sufferings, knowing he was portraying the death and resurrection of Christ to all. I am praying that when the anguish of suffering comes, I would display to the world how infinitely satisfying and beautiful Jesus Christ is. This is not a natural response! Only God can produce such a response, which is why I plead with God to transform my heart. To respond biblically, we must see past our little finite frames of reference. Christ is glorious and satisfying! In order for a decaying world to see this, they must see Him as satisfying in the midst of horrific and sometimes excruciating suffering. Let us plead with God together—praying that despair and anger would not overcome us in affliction, but that a world would see a Savior bleeding on a cross through our suffering.
—Michael Lyons

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REMBRANDT AND ME

Isaiah 53:1-12
“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6 (NIV)

Last spring, the medical staff of the Children’s Hospital held its staff meeting at the Cincinnati Art Academy on a Sunday evening. I presented the medical staff “Unseen Hero” Award to my good friend and Friday Morning Men buddy, pediatrician Dr. Bob Lehrer. He received the award for his outstanding clinical practice for neurologic problems, his public health work, and his medical and spiritual missions to Cuba and other third world countries. The staff meeting was held at the Cincinnati Art Museum because it was at the time of the famous Dutch artist Rembrandt’s special exhibit commemorating his 400th birthday. We arrived early to see Rembrandt’s famous paintings and etchings.

I was so impressed with the great number of his scripturally based paintings from the Bible. The Old and New Testaments were the principal historical sources for Rembrandt’s paintings including Abraham and Isaac, Jesus and the Samaritan Woman, The Martyrdom of St. Stephen, The Apostle Paul, Judas Returning the Thirty Pieces of Silver, and many others.

Rembrandt’s famous The Raising of the Cross (1633) shows Christ thin, wiry, and muscular while undergoing extreme physical pain. As we study the Rembrandt crucifixion painting, our attention focuses initially on Jesus and the cross. Then we look at the crowd around the cross; and our eyes settle on a man with a seventeenth century Renaissance hat, certainly out of place historically for a painting of 33 B.C. We learn that Rembrandt included in this painting of the crucifixion a self-portrait, recognizing that by his sins he helped nail Jesus there!

I glibly recite, “Christ died for the sins of the world.” It is much more meaningful to say, “Christ died for my sin!” Am I as indifferent as Pilate, as scheming as Caiaphas, as calloused as the soldiers, as ruthless as the mob, or as cowardly as the disciples? It is not just what they did—it was I who nailed Him to the tree just as Rembrandt had. I crucified the Son of God. Look closely in the shadows of Rembrandt’s painting. I am standing there; you, too, are standing with bloodied hands, for Christ bore the penalty of my sin and your sin! We can say, “The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin:
How Great Thou Art!

—Dr. Bill Gerhardt

The Raising of the Cross

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WATCH WITH ME

“Then he said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’” Matthew 26:38 (NIV)

As strange as it may sound, have you ever experienced a Garden of Gethsemane moment? Let me ask the question in a way that may be less offensive. No matter whether you are a teen or a person in the autumn years of your life, have you ever placed trust in the hands and prayers of others to help you conquer a tough time? The way I read Matthew 26:38, Jesus was faced with a significant emotional event, life or death; and He asked two of His disciples to give support and give watch with Him as He was facing a time of great stress. Not once, but twice, they let Jesus down by falling asleep. Despite all the medical situations I have faced in my short 54 years, I have never sweat blood, as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane, due to a crisis; but I admit, despite the prayers of others, I still sometimes felt alone. One of the nuggets of wisdom I have taken away from those moments of separation and “aloneness” is that Christ has been where I have been!

An “ah-ha” moment . . . Christ has experienced the highs and lows I experience on a daily basis. I can make it through, and I can trust He knows exactly how I feel. The times when I feel His presence and He gives me that wonderful peace that only He understands are the times when I surrender and acknowledge that Jesus has experienced much more than me, and He understands exactly how I feel. During this Lenten season, I am ever reminded of the price He paid . . . of the loneliness He must have felt. Even though I let Him down over and over, He will never leave me or forsake me. He is faithful. He does not slumber or sleep. His love is steadfast. He has been there.
—Jack Samad

CRUCIFIED BETWEEN TWO CRIMINALS

“³²Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. ³³And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.” Luke 23:32-33 (ESV)

On Good Friday, we remember the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made on behalf of lost sinners. The Roman crucifixion was an agonizingly slow and painful death. It was so horrible and shameful that it was reserved as a punishment for slaves and the lowest of criminals. On Good Friday, we should understand that the emphasis of the scriptures is not as much on the physical suffering as it is on the atoning nature of Christ’s death. The central meaning of the cross is found in the agony Christ endured as a result of bearing the burden of our guilt as our substitute. Theologians refer to this principle as the vicarious or substitutionary atonement of Christ.

Jesus having been crucified between two criminals illustrates this principle. God is sovereign over all history, and Christ’s death came to pass just as God in His wisdom determined. Indeed, Isaiah 53:12 predicts that the suffering servant will be, “. . . numbered with the transgressors . . .” The question is why would God ordain this?

His death between two criminals emphasized not only to what depths the Messiah was mistreated, shamed, and debased, but His position in the center of these criminals underscores that He died as a criminal. The crimes for which He paid are not His own, for He was without sin. Rather, it is because of our crimes that Jesus was forsaken by the Father.

Apart from Christ, God views us as the lowest of criminals. We think that, because we live a law-abiding life, we have committed no great crimes, certainly none worthy of death! In our Savior’s death, we see the opposite is true. To the extent that we disobey our Creator’s will for our lives, violating His commands to worship Him, to trust in Him, to practice love for God and for our neighbor—to the extent we violate these commands with impunity, we commit crimes worthy of death. Paul emphasizes this truth when he declares, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (ESV)

Today is a day in which we should be reminded of the gravity of our crimes in God’s sight. Our sins are serious enough that someone has to die. In God’s mercy, He sent His one and only Son to die for the forgiveness of sins on behalf of all those who place their faith in Him.
—Pastor Rich Lanning

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LIFT HIGH THE CROSS

“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32a (ESV)

Every time “Lift High the Cross” is sung, my heart sobs and yet dissolves into thanksgiving and adoration. If I had been there that awful, yet divinely good day (Good Friday) where would I have been in that crowd? Hopefully I would have been near those heartbroken women and the disciple John.

In my former church, during the singing of the “Gloria” and “Doxology,” the choir and I, as the pastor, would turn our backs to the congregation and face that large cross. This was the highlight of the whole worship service. When we sang “The Lord’s Prayer” (seated), as we reached the last stanza, everyone rose and practically shouted, “For Thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever,” with tears streaming down many faces including mine.

Can we imagine what life would be like without Christ? Inwardly, we would be merely existing, maybe knowingly or unknowingly, in the terror of the Lord—beyond that supernatural grace, without the hope and love of God.

I did not want to view the pictures of Saddam Hussein standing before the gallows as he faced physical and spiritual death. The mystery of iniquity, insanity, and irrational sin is terrifying possibly to face God’s infinite wrath. Most of the world stands in this position. It is a nightmare to see this “real world” of today lost. The cross is an offense to most. The Redeemer is rejected, despised, or unknown; and much of the United States resides in the insane world of “denial” to spiritual and intellectual reality.

We talk about the dangerous reality of our world on the brink of nuclear madness and wonder how our sanity as Christians stays intact abiding in this Christ-less world. It is awful to view the misery of the world without Christ.

The apostle Paul said God spared not His Son, but gave Him up for us. He did not reduce the punishment; He regarded His Beloved Son as a sinner (though without sin in His Being). Theologian P. T. Forsyth said long ago, “If we can imagine all the sins of the world for all time being reduced to one nauseous mass, then that was what we nailed to the cross that day.” How could God strike or smite His Son or even permit it being done? God did not keep anything back. He poured out Divine wrath on that nauseous mass, His Divine, dearly beloved Son—for me—for you. We remember GOD WAS IN CHRIST.

Lift High the Cross – Lift High our God in Christ. Therefore, “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!” Psalm 150:6 (ESV)
—Jo Youst

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FREEDOM FROM FUTILITY

I Corinthians 15.
“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” I Corinthians 15:17 (NIV)

One aspect of truth that is simultaneously refreshing and terrifying is the way in which it can blindside you, disturbing your equilibrium and forcing you to reexamine your footing. Such is the truth of the resurrection. Unfortunately, we have sung about it so many times, heard it preached about so many times, and obscured it with such great heaps of ham, lilies, Easter eggs, and chocolate bunnies that it no longer shocks us. The truth is that if Jesus is risen from the dead, all of life appears in a different light.

The apostle Paul makes this very point to the Corinthian church, which had grown so enamored with the present that some members denied the doctrine of resurrection. He tells them that, if there is no resurrection, then Jesus was not raised; if Jesus was not raised, then the apostles’ preaching is baseless; and if the apostles’ preaching is baseless, so is the faith of those who believed it (verses 13–14). Denying the resurrection has very specific implications: “. . . your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” The very accomplishment of redemption and the forgiveness of sins depend upon the resurrection of Jesus, yet we seldom consider these connections. The Christian message is inescapably rooted in the reality and necessity of Jesus’ resurrection.

It is highly unlikely that any of us are tempted to deny the resurrection; we are, however, likely to minimize its importance and give mere lip service to this fundamental truth. What difference does it really make in our daily lives whether or not Jesus rose from the dead? If he had not, would it change anything? For Paul, it changes everything: “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” I Corinthians 15:19 (NIV) Would we be pitiable if the resurrection were not true? Is our faith significant enough for its being “futile” to ruin us? Without the resurrection, we are robbed of hope—there would be no promise for our future, no reason for enduring the present, and no redemption from the past. All of life would collapse into a meaningless trudge from the delivery room to the morgue. We would have to distract ourselves from its abject vanity by any possible means; and when we had sucked all the nectar from any of the world’s cheap pleasures, we would be in search of the next one before ennui caught up with us.

Christ is risen! There is hope! The outcome of the battle against sin and death is assured. Everything is different.
—Isaac Gould

February 21 - March 17
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