Lent 2020 Day 41

Scripture Reading

John 12:27-38

This passage reminds us of the importance of the death of Christ while at the same time reminding us of the lack of belief in Jesus' day and ours. The crowd had witnessed several miracles, most recently hearing a voice from heaven (vs. 28-29). The crowd still refused to believe in Jesus and his coming kingdom. 

When we speak of the death of Christ we must understand that Christ's death was the way in which God chose to make peace between us and him. God could have chosen another way to restore our relationship with him but he did not. He chose to offer his son as a sacrifice, so that we might experience the wonder of a relationship with God. 

Jesus promised that through his being lifted up, meaning his death by crucifixion, that he would draw people to himself. The violence of the cross brings peace to all who desire to lose their life for Christ's sake and follow him. God has shown the world how much he loves us by sending his son to die for us. The question for each of us is "Are we going to believe in the miracle of the cross or will we fail to believe in Jesus just like the people of his day did?"

Prayer: Lord, help me to accept the miracle of the cross. Thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross. I pray that you will continue to perform the miracle of salvation throughout your world. May you be lifted up for all the world to see. Amen.

Lent 2020 Day 40

Scripture Reading

Matthew 21:1-9

Today is Palm Sunday, the day that we prepare for Easter by celebrating Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Some churches celebrate Palm Sunday by having children enter the sanctuary waving palm branches as a reminder of this sacred day. Other churches will have people waving palm branches lining the center aisle of the church as someone dressed as Jesus enters the sanctuary. In both instances, what is happening is a visual reminder of the majesty of Jesus Christ who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

The reaction of the crowd represents their acknowledgement of Jesus as the long-expected Messiah. The greeting that Jesus received (vs.9) was used in Psalm 118 to greet pilgrims as they entered Jerusalem during the Feast of the Tabernacles. Hosanna essentially means "save," but was probably used here as an exclamation of praise to Jesus. The phrase Son of David describes Jesus' fulfillment that the Messiah would be a descendant of David. "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" is also a phrase that acknowledges Jesus as the Messiah who had been foretold in the Old Testament. 

Can you imagine being one of the disciples and witnessing this warm welcome that Jesus received and then face what lay ahead of them in just a matter of days? No wonder most of the disciples scattered for fear of their life when Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane.

Prayer: Lord, you are exalted above everyone and everything. I want my life to honor you and serve you just like Jesus' life did. Help me to be faithful to the end of my life. Amen.

Lent 2020 Day 39

Scripture Reading

Isaiah 52:13-53:12

The fourth and final Servant Song is one that we are most familiar with because it is often quoted in the New Testament. It presents an image of the Servant of God as one who must suffer hardship and persecution and ultimately death. This is contrary to what Israel believed about God and his servant. The Jews were expecting a mighty, majestic Messiah who would come and defeat their enemies and rule with strength and force, but that is not the picture that Isaiah gives us here. 

We learn in this passage that the Servant of the Lord was not really anything special or impressive, he was rejected by men, and he was all too familiar with suffering and pain, and "he poured out his life unto death" (vs. 12). Our Savior suffered and died for us, not just for us, but because of us. Jesus endured the cross because it was the Lord's plan to save the world through the redemptive death of his son. Could God have chosen another way to forgive us and restore us to a right relationship with himself? Yes, but he didn't. He chose to use the cross to point the way home to him. 

The depiction of the servant in Isaiah 53 is also a reminder to us that if we are truly disciples of Christ then we must take up our own cross and follow him. We have believed a lie if we think that living for God is going to be easy, happy, and never have problems. If Christ experienced the things that Isaiah 53 mentions then why do we think that we won't? God is with us when things are good, but he's also with us when things are bad, the same way he was with Jesus. 

Bill Leonard writes, "The life of the living Christ is with us, even in the darkest places of our lives. So let us come once more to the cross and observe with trembling the suffering God-despised, rejected, rejected, wounded, and bruised. And perhaps with him, in the midst of our own suffering, we shall be made whole. Who would ever have believed it? A suffering God! Hallelujah!"

Prayer: Father, thank you for your servant Jesus who suffered and died so that I might have a relationship with you. Help me to see you in the midst of the darkness and suffering of my own life and cry out to you for help. 

Lent 2020 Day 38

Scripture Reading

Isaiah 50:4-11

This is the third Servant Song found in Isaiah. As you read this you probably noticed striking similarities to Jesus' death. Mark reads, "Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him" (Mark 15:15-20). Notice that the servant submits not to the authority of his accusers and oppressors but to the authority of the sovereign Lord. The Servant knew that in spite of the difficulties and trials that he faced, God would strengthen him and sustain him. 

Isaiah 50:6 points out the horrors of Jesus' crucifixion, while verse 9 points out the source of Christ's strength, the Lord. This Servant Song seems dark and hopeless much like it was for Jesus' followers on that Friday he was crucified. Their leader had been killed, what were they going to do now? But we see the bigger picture and the hope that is to come from the hand of the Lord. Those who are in the dark are encouraged to trust in God who is the ultimate source of light. Jesus knew this truth, that's why he could endure the cross. Today we must cling to God's promise of light and life even in the darkest times of our lives. 

Prayer: Sovereign Lord, you who brought hope out of despair, you who brought light out of dark, you who brought good out of evil. I praise you, for you alone are worthy to be praised. Help me to remember that you are faithful when I doubt, get discouraged, and become angry. Help me to rely on you when it seems like there is nothing good that can happen in my life because I know that you are with me just as you were with Jesus in his darkest hour. Amen.

Giving During Covid-19

One of the things that has been challenging for many churches and other Christian ministries is how to approach the subject of financial giving during the past several weeks. I've had discussions with leadership at our congregation about what our best options moving forward are to ensure that we can continue to facilitate ministry in the days ahead. Each church and ministry must do what they feel is best.

Allow me to offer some thoughts, not from a church standpoint but from an individual standpoint.
Many around us have had hours reduced or jobs completely lost due to Covid-19, we should seek ways to help and minister to them accordingly as the Lord leads us. Fear of the unknown can make us hoard our money during difficult days. Christian ministries and churches are still ministering to people and so we must not give in to the temptation to withhold our gifts and contributions to them. In fact, this may be a time, when we look at our family resources and see if there are ways to contribute over and above what we normally give to ministries and churches to help compensate a loss of financial gifts from others. This is also a time when people may be facing health issues or other burdens that we find ways to help minister to them and meet their needs in tangible ways. Maybe that's a meal, a gift card to a local restaurant, or simply an extra $20 cash for whatever they may need.

In a world that has seen people being greedy and selfish (toilet paper and hand sanitizer depleted in stores) this is a time for Christians to embrace generosity on a completely different level. Again, I know that there is fear of the unknown for many if not all of us, especially financially, but as Christians our faith is not in the stock market or cash reserves, it is in the Lord. We must relearn what it looks like to be dependent on God for all our provisions. Even still, living generously is something we are each called to do. If you are able, be sure to be generous to someone around you in need. If you feel led, give to a ministry around you, to help give them a boost during this difficult season. If you are in a situation in which you can't give financially, pray. Pray for your church and its leaders. Pray for ministries all around your area. Pray for those who are walking through health concerns or job concerns. Pray for our governmental leaders. Pray for healthcare providers. Pray for truck drivers. Pray for grocery store workers. Pray for your family. Just pray.

Lent 2020 Day 37

Scripture Reading

Isaiah 49:1-6

Yesterday we looked at the first of four "Servant Songs" found int Isaiah 40-66. The first one introduced the servant, and we stated that as Christians we have come to understand the Servant of the Lord to be Jesus Christ. The second Servant Song, found in Isaiah 49 captures the thoughts of the servant and Yahweh's response. 

As one reads verses 1-4, it is easy to identify with the words of the servant. We feel that we as servants of the Lord were called before we were born (vs. 1), that the Lord has protected us and kept us in the palm of his hand (vs.2), and that at times we feel we have labored in vain for the Lord (vs.4). However, that is where our identification with these verses stops. We must remind ourselves that this is about the Servant of the Lord-Jesus. 

The Servant's words have been heard and now Yahweh responds in verses 5-6. In verse 5 there is a description of the Lord-Yahweh that is essentially a summary of verses 1-4. It is also a reminder that the original role of the Servant of the Lord was to bring Israel back into a right relationship with God. Then God speaks in verse 6. Basically God says, "Bringing Israel back is easy, let's make it a real challenge, go save the Gentiles (everyone else in the world besides the Jews) as well. So we see in this second Servant Song a fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham that through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed. God's purpose has always been to save both Jews and Gentiles because they are all part of the sacred human race that God created to bear his image. The Servant of the Lord was supposed to bring salvation to all the earth and that is exactly what Jesus did. 

Prayer: God, may your salvation be proclaimed throughout all the earth as you call men, women, boys, and girls into a relationship with you. Thank you for including me as part of your people. Thank you for expanding your salvation to include Jew and Gentile. Amen. 

Lent 2020 Day 36

Scripture Reading

Isaiah 42:1-4

The second half of Isaiah (chapters 40-66) focuses on the Servant of the Lord. This recurring image has been interpreted in various ways throughout the years. The two main interpretations are to see the Servant of the Lord as a collective group (such as the nation of Israel or a remnant of faithful Israelites) or as individuals (such as Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel, or Jesus). Some scholars suggest that the best way to understand this theme is to interpret it both as a group and an individual. 

An important theme found in Isaiah is the idea of a remnant. This represented a group from the nation of Israel that God was preserving even though he was bringing judgment of sin through battles with other nations and eventually defeat and slavery in Babylon. Through all of these difficulties, God was preserving a chosen group for himself. So in one sense, these verses represent the faithfulness of God to use Israel to bring justice and to be faithful to living for God in the world. the remnant of Israel was going to be used to accomplish God's purposes. What were those purposes? To call a people to himself. To call a people to live in relationship with himself. This began with the call of Abraham in Genesis 12 but was fully realized through Jesus. Therefore, Jesus is the individual interpretation of the Servant of the Lord. Jesus' life and ministry embodied all the descriptions found in Isaiah of the servant of the Lord. 

At Jesus' baptism the gospels tell us that the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove (Isaiah 42:1). Jesus brought justice to the world in that he righted all of our wrongs by making peace with God available to everyone through his death. Unlike some other prophets and religious leaders, Jesus didn't come shouting and hollering, but he came bringing hope, faith, and love in a gentle spirit (Isaiah 42:2-3). Jesus' work in the world is not complete yet because there are still people groups who have yet to be reached with the message of the gospel (vs. 4). 

For us as Christians, we cannot read the passages from Isaiah about the Servant of the Lord without equating Jesus with this role of servant. Jesus himself said that he came to serve not to be served. The message of Isaiah for us is really a challenge to be more like our Lord and Savior who was concerned about bringing justice to the world. This includes things like decent housing (Habitat for Humanity), eliminating racism (in our own hearts and the world), and treating others like Jesus treated them with love and compassion. Bringing justice to the world also means telling everyone we meet about Jesus through our words and our actions. Will you accept Isaiah's challenge? 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you have worked in the world to bring peace and justice through Israel and through Jesus. Work through me to bring peace and justice to the people around me. Burden my heart for people all over the world who have never experienced your love and never had the opportunity to hear the gospel. Provide people to go to the unreached peoples of the world so that they might have a chance to be saved. Call me to go, and help me to follow. Amen.