We spend a great deal of time counting on routines to provide a source of stability in our lives. The need for a foundation that does not change is especially true in our spiritual lives. The effects of the COVID-19 disease has shaken our routines […]
The phrase we need to consider today is “because I am going.” What is the reason that Jesus had to go to the cross on His way to going to the Father? In order to answer that question, we need to develop a theology of […]
I have always loved “punny” humor – gags that were built around clever uses and misuses of the English language. I enjoyed “dad jokes” long before I was a dad and long before I knew that they had any jokes. I would stay up to watch Johnny Carson when he had guests like Milton Berle, Henny Youngman, Rodney Dangerfield, or Groucho Marx on his show.
Yesterday I watched one of the greatest “dad joke” movies ever made. Leslie Nielsen carved a second career around a specific genre of comedic movies. His first was the movie Airplane! It handles a broad range of satire and silliness to perfection. The movie was made in 1980 to poke fun at the disaster films of the era.
As we were watching the movie, I would announce when a particularly clever scene was about to appear. Here is where he first has his drinking problem. Here is where he is going to pull out the electrical cord. Here is where Nielsen is going to say,
“Can you fly this plane and land it?”
“Surely you can’t be serious.”
“I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley.”
I wanted everyone to be prepared to watch. Humor was on its way and it shouldn’t be missed. Let’s all enjoy this together.
Sometimes we announce bad news the same way, so that all can be prepared for it. Bad weather is approaching. The worst is yet to come for the virus crisis. The stock markets will take a hit.
Before the events of the arrest, trial and crucifixion, Jesus told the disciples how the events would unfold. “I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does you may believe.”
We tell people ahead of time so they wont miss what is coming. We warn them so they can be prepared. We don’t want them to be surprised. We want them to understand how to handle the circumstance.
Jesus had been telling the disciples what was going to happen so they might be prepared. On several occasions, Jesus looked ahead to the events of this week and warned the disciples. He wanted them to be prepared. He wanted them to believe.
From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised (Matthew 16:21 ESV).
As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men” (Matthew 17:22 ESV).
And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again (Mark 8:31 ESV).
J.K. Rowling, in the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, “Enter, stranger, but take heed Of what awaits the sin of greed, For those who take, but do not earn, Must pay most dearly in their turn.”
Take heed of what awaits.
On this, the last Thursday of the earthly ministry of Jesus, He was delivered before the chief priests, elders and scribes. He was given the sentence of death and condemned. Honor Jesus on this day by reading some of the account of the crucifixion from the gospels. You can find a good summary by reading Mark 15:16-19, Mark 15:20-23, Mark 15:24-37; Mark 15:38-41 and Mark 15:42-47.
According to the polling website, Rasmussen Reports, at the last election, voters believed more strongly than before that the president of the United States is the most powerful person in the world. They see the position as the leader of the world community and that the level of power that is in the office is appropriate.
Since 2009, Forbes magazine has published an annual issue featuring the “World’s Most Powerful People.” Vladimir Putin of Russia has been awarded the recognition twice. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi top the list. The Forbes’ list not only includes political rulers, but also business executives like Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Apple’s Tim Cook, and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos.
What makes a person powerful? We probably should think a moment about the difference between power and influence. Power forces people to compete a task, while influence leads them to understand why the task is necessary. In his latest book, Power: Why Some People Have It and Other’s Don’t, Jeffrey Pfeffer says there are two sources of power. The first is bases on a person’s title – the former position of power. The second is informal or personal power. This is not based on your position, but on your abilities, knowledge and skills. You have heard the expression, “information is power.” Are you perceived as being an expert in an area? Pfeffer says you have the power, the question is “Do you know how to use it?”
When things go wrong, or deviate from the prescribed plan, people assume things are out of control and the person in charge has lost power and influence.
In the Upper Room, the lives of the disciples are beginning to spin at an unmanageable pace. Does God know what He is doing? Is He still in control? Where is God when we are hurting? These important questions are a part of our obedience to God and our perception of His will in our lives.
The disciples had to be thinking, “What is our world coming to?” Jesus’ answer to the disciples is the exact answer that He would say to us today, whether we are contemplating wars, rumors of wars, or the coronavirus. The reality is we live in a world where Satan reigns. We live in a godless world. There is another force who is at work.
John records Jesus saying that Satan is the ruler of this world four times. When we are swamped with difficulties and challenges that rival the Old Testament character Job, we should not be confused about their origins. We live in a world that chosen to follow the wiles and the deception that is the Devil.
Sin has left its flavor on the world. Our own decisions have narrowed our choices while increasing our liabilities. When things don’t go the way we planned, let’s place the blame at the right place.
The ruler of this world has nothing to do with Jesus.
On the last Wednesday of Jesus’ ministry on earth, He seemed to spend the day wrestling with the prince of this world. Disciples arguing over who would be greatest, lessons about what it means to be a servant, predictions of denial and betrayal, and agonizing prayers in the garden seem to remind us that Satan has a stronghold on this world. Honor Jesus today by reading these important Scriptures, always remembering that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world: John 8:44-47, John 12:31-33, John 14:30, John 16:11, Ephesians 2:1-3, Ephesians 6:12-13, 1 Peter 5:8-10
Easter quietly wandered into our houses and snuck out the back door this year, didn’t it? Amidst daily coronavirus updates from governors and the president, a disrupted work schedule and changing patterns of shopping and community, the celebration of traditions had to be tossed aside. […]
Rise let us go from here (John 14:31 ESV). It is the last verse in this incredible chapter in the gospel of John. Rise … let us go from here. We have spent the last fifty days preparing to rise. It is time for us […]
May I offer an opinion – a hypothesis, if you will? Everything that is in the Old Testament was written to help us understand more about Jesus and what He was going to do on earth. Since we are to follow the example of Jesus, […]
Happy Easter! The wonders of celebrating the resurrection of our Lord. He is not here. He has risen! Music has always been a huge praise driver for me, but especially on Easter Sunday. What are the songs of your resurrection Sunday? Was your day a […]
What is your favorite Easter song? My favorite Easter song was performed by Petra, a music group regarded as the one of the foundations of Christian rock and contemporary Christian music. The song is titled, Grave Robber, and was written by Petra band member Bob Hartman.
There’s a step that we all take alone
An appointment we have with the great unknown
Like a vapor this life is just waiting to pass
Like the flowers that fade, like the withering grass
But life seems so long and death so complete
And the grave an impossible portion to cheat
But there’s One who has been there and still lives to tell
There is One who has been through both heaven and hell
And the grave will come up empty-handed that day
Jesus will come and steal us away
(Chorus)
Where is the sting, tell me where is the bite
When the grave robber comes like a thief in the night
Where is the victory, where is the prize
When the grave robber comes
And death finally dies
Many still mourn and many still weep
For those that they love who have fallen asleep
But we have this hope though our hearts may still ache
Just one shout from above and they all will awake
And in the reunion of joy we will see
Death will be swallowed in sweet victory
Grave robber – it sounds more like something out of a world wrestling match than church, doesn’t it? Maybe that is a far more appropriate imagery than a hallelujah or a lilly. Paul says we wrestle – not against flesh and blood – but against powers and principalities. And for centuries, we wrestled against death – and lost.
If I understand what happened on the day that Christ rose from the grave, death died.
Since Adam in the Garden, death had reigned day after day, generation after generation. From the time of a birth, mankind simply waited for the time of a death. From the moment that Adam and Eve buried Abel, people have paused respectfully at tombs, gathered together in cemeteries, planted flowers and gazed and remembered. And death smiled. Laughed. Champion again. Undefeated. Still holding the belts. Longest reigning ever.
And today, if you and I were to visit cemeteries
and look for
Grandpa May, whom I never knew
Grandma May
James Thomas, Uncle Wes’ son
Uncle Lloyd
Uncle Herb
Aunt Reba
Aunt Sylvia
Aunt Flossie
Aunt Emma
Uncle Wes
Sharon, a teen-aged girl, and the first funeral I ever officiated
Grandpa
Chuck
Dad
Bama
Grandma
Joe, the one who got away
Dean
Joyce
Jacob
Mom
Scott
Rich
Renae
Your loved one
We would be struck by seeing a man, relaxed, waiting, almost anticipating our arrival. Sitting on the headstone. Glistening. White. Radiant.
With a slight smile on his face, he whispers, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”
He is not here.
She is not here.
Never was.
Never will be!
For death, you see, not only does not reign – it doesn’t even need to be considered.
Useless.
Impotent.
Stingless. Defeated.
Robbed.
And a grin bursts over our faces.
They are not here.
They are risen!
The interesting phrase, “that the world may know” is the subject of our attention for today. As we move toward the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, there is a phrase in verse 31 of John 14 that is translated very well by the English Standard Version (ESV). Several other translations use the same wording, including the KJV, NASB, NKJV, CEV, NLT and NRSV.
The phrase stands out in some versions. The entire sentence is captured best by the CEV, “I obey my Father so that everyone in the world might know that I love Him.”
Why should you obey God’s commands?
You have been stuck inside your home for the better part of three weeks, venturing out only for groceries and prescription visits to the pharmacy. Your retirement account has sprung a leak and you seem to be losing gallons daily. Your job has laid you off indefinitely. Every sniffle during astronomical pollen counts has you concerned. Your favorite form of entertainment, going out to eat, has been taken away from you. Your patience is as thin as well-made rice paper on a sushi roll.
Why shouldn’t you lose your temper? Why shouldn’t you snap at the thoughtlessness of people? What difference does your behavior make?
You obey God’s commands so the world may know that you love Him.
A stretch of the highway sprawls around curves where the speed limit is not clearly marked. You know that closer to the town the speed limit is 30, but out here it seems like 55 would be safe. Cars are passing you every chance they get. Everyone is going faster than you.
You decide to give the engine a bit more gas to keep up with the flow of traffic. You are now cruising between 55 and 60, when the flashing lights behind you motion you to the side. “I am sorry, officer, I didn’t know what the speed limit was through here.”
“The speed limit is 40. You should have known.”
Most of the world doesn’t know the commands of God. Most of the world does not read the Bible. Why should you obey God?
So the world will know.
On the Monday of the last week of Jesus’ earthly ministry, our Savior spent the day teaching. In the temple. Out on the streets. For an intimate, personal small group and for a larger crowds. He taught so that people would know. Honor Him today by reading some of the things He taught in that last week. You will find some of the teachings in Matthew 22:1-14, Matthew 22:15-22, Matthew 22:23-40, Matthew 23:1-15, Matthew 24:3-14.