the cross

Love Is Of God.

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So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. – 1 John 4:16 ESV

1 John 4:7-21

Love is a feeling. Love makes the world go round. All you need is love. Love is a many splendid thing. There are as many sayings about love as there are definitions as to what it is. But John wants us to understand that love is of God. In fact, God is love. Everything about love emanates from God. And because man was made in the image of God, all men have the capacity to love. It is a part of God’s common grace bestowed upon all mankind. But only those who truly understand the love of God as expressed in the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, can even begin to grasp the true nature of what love really is. Left to our own devices, we will tend to redefine love in our own terms, focusing on ourselves and seeing love as something designed to fulfill us or bring us satisfaction. Which is why we tend to fall in and out of love. We have turned loved into little more than a feeling that can come and go based on whether we have the motivation to love the other person or the persuasion that they are loving us in the way we demand. Like everything else God has so graciously given us, we can somehow find a way to make it all about us. But true love is about God. Yes, God so loved the world that He gave His Son. Yes, God loved us while we were yet sinners. But what we have to remember is that God’s love had nothing to do with our loveliness or lovableness. We did not deserve His love. We had not earned His love. Yes, we were the recipients of His love, but for no reason whatsoever on our part. And until we understand the significance of that reality, we will never understand the love of God.

John ties loving others and knowing God together. He writes, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7 ESV). Our capacity to love others the way God commands is directly tied to our knowledge of God. And what is it we are to know about God? His love. As believers in Jesus Christ, we have a unique perspective on the love of God because we have experienced it firsthand. At one point in our lives we were told about the love of God manifested or shown through the arrival of His Son here on this earth. Jesus was God in human flesh, sent by His Father to bring salvation to man by His death on the cross. “God sent his only Son into the world” (1 John 4:9 ESV), “to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10 ESV), and “to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14 ESV). And John sums it all up with the words, “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us” (1 John 4:16 ESV). We have come to know and believe in Jesus. It is through our acceptance of God’s love as expressed through Jesus that we truly come to know who God is and what love is. Even as an old man, John was blown away by this kind of love. “What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are.” (1 John 3:1 MSG).

I love how the apostle Paul puts difficult concepts into language most of us can understand. Speaking of God’s amazing love, he writes, “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation” (Romans 5:6-9 NLT). You and I might be willing to sacrifice our lives for someone especially good. We might take a bullet for our spouse or one of our children, but we’d probably have to think long and hard about anyone else. Yet God loved us enough when we were at our worst to send His own Son to die in our place. Jesus took the bullet for us. D. A. Carson has this to say about the love of God: “Do you wish to see God’s love? Look at the cross. Do you wish to see God’s wrath? Look at the cross.” The love of God shines brightest when seen against the dark backdrop of the cross. The cross was and is a symbol of man’s sin, guilt and just condemnation. It represents what we so justly deserved as usurpers of God’s authority and rebels against His will. And yet, it is at the cross that we truly come to know God. We see His justice, wrath, righteousness, patience, mercy, grace, and love on display through the life of His Son. Because of His love, we are His children. Because of His love, we are forgiven. Because of His love, we abide in Him and in His love – constantly. Because of His love, we have His Spirit within us. Because of His love, we have our future determined for us. Because of His love, we can love others. But only as long as we remember how He has loved us. If we don’t love, we don’t know Him. That doesn’t necessarily mean we aren’t saved. It can simply mean we don’t recognize and appreciate the unbelievable nature of the love with which He has loved us. To know God is to know God’s love for us. Whenever we forget, all we need to do is look at the cross.

Genesis 9-10, Matthew 5

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A Holy God & Sinful Man.

Genesis 9-10, Matthew 5

You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.” But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, “You fool!” will be liable to the hell of fire. – Matthew 5:21-22 ESV

Noah and his family survived the flood, but they would quickly find themselves deluged with the constant presence of sin. While the majority of the population had been wiped out in God’s judgment, the small remnant of people who made up Noah’s family were more than adequate to repopulate the planet and provide a steady supply of sin to recontaminate the world. But God would remain faithful.

What does this passage reveal about God?

God kept His word and protected Noah and his family from the devastating consequences of the flood. He even made a covenant with them, promising to never destroy the earth again by means of a world-wide flood. This covenant was ratified with Noah, but included all the creatures who had survived the flood as passengers on the ark. God knew that sin was still present on the earth. He knew that man was still prone to sin and that the flood had not eradicated the root problem of sin from the earth. But in spite of all that, He was willing to make a binding covenant with Noah and his descendants, promising to never bring another world-wide flood on the earth again.

God’s original command to Adam and Eve to multiply and fill the earth still stood, and God passed it on to Noah and his sons. After they exited the ark, God blessed them and commanded them to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1 ESV). Chapter ten of Genesis provides a genealogical listing of how Noah’s three sons fulfilled this command, multiplying and spreading across the earth. Animals, birds and mankind alike, procreated and repopulated the environment. But God gave Noah and his sons an interesting warning. Something had changed since the time He had created the world. When He had placed Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, He told them, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of the all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food” (Genesis 1:29-30 ESV). But in the post-flood environment, something had changed. God now told Noah and his family, “All the animals of the earth, all the birds of the sky, all the small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the fish in the sea will look on you with fear and terror. I have placed them in your power. I have given them to you for food, just as I have given you grain and vegetables” (Genesis 9:2-3 ESV). Man’s diet was now expanded to include birds, fish and animals. But God placed a very specific restriction with this newly expanded diet. “But you must never eat any meat that still has the lifeblood in it” (Genesis 9:4 ESV). God, as the creator of all life, put a high priority on life, and designated blood as the symbol of life. Man was restricted from eating any animals that had not had their blood drained from them. The blood was to be spilled, symbolizing the loss of life. And this concept of spilled blood would play a significant role in the history of God’s people for generations to come.

What does this passage reveal about man?

Knowing that mankind will end up taking this newly expanded dietary opportunity and pervert it, God warned that all those who took life would be held accountable. He established the principle of a life for a life. Human life was  precious to God and it was to be treated with care. God would not tolerate actions like those of Cain who murdered his brother out of jealousy. So He changed the rules, saying, “And I will require the blood of anyone who takes another person’s life. If a wild animal kills a person, it must die. And anyone who murders a fellow human must die” (Genesis 9:5 ESV). Man was made in the image of God, and no one was permitted to take the life of man but God. In time, God would establish laws and civil government as a means to legislate this decree. The problem with sin is that it eventually leads to loss of life. Sin is ultimately destructive in nature. It never leads to life, but always to death. Jesus Himself warned that the enemy came to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10), but that He came to bring life.

Man requires rules. Left to our own devices, we will gravitate towards sin and end up behaving in ways that are not only self-destructive, but harmful to others. But God requires more than rules, He demands righteousness. Laws don’t change the heart of man, they just regulate behavior. Laws restrict, but they don’t reform. When Jesus showed up on the earth, He revealed that the laws given to regulate the behavior of men were inadequate. In His great Sermon on the Mount, found in chapter 5 of Matthew, Jesus spoke these startling words to His listeners: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brotherwill be liable to judgment” (Matthew 5:21-22 ESV). At the heart of murder is anger. To simply restrict someone from murdering another person does not alter their desire to do so. It merely reigns in and restricts their desire. But Jesus came to change all that. He came to provide mankind with a means to live differently. He came to offer heart transformation that would lead to true behavior modification. Apart from Christ, men require rules to control them. But for those who are in Christ, our behavior is regulated by the Spirit of God. Our motivation is internal, not external. God’s standards for His people are high and lofty, far greater than any set of rules to regulate and enforce. Holiness can not be legislated, but must be motivated by the presence and power of God within the life of the individual. Right living must be based on a right relationship with God made possible through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

Without Christ, I would be sin-prone and self-destructive. I would be left trying to live my life by a set of rules I can’t keep and attempting to live up to a set of standards I could never achieve. I am a rule-breaker by nature. I don’t want to abide by God’s laws. And like every man who has been born since the flood, I would be hopeless and helpless had it not been for Jesus’ death on the cross. He shed His blood so that I wouldn’t have to have mine spilled. Because until I placed my faith in him, I was just as guilty as the rest. I was guilty of anger and therefore, guilty of murder. I was condemned and worthy of death. But Jesus allowed His blood to be spilled instead of mine. He allowed His life to be taken in place of mine. He died so that I might live. God, in His rich mercy and grace, provided a means by which I might be made right with Him, when I could never have pulled it off on my own. He gave me a way to live a brand of righteousness that is far greater than anything the Pharisees or even Noah was able to pull off. It’s not a righteousness based on rules and regulations, but on the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. He gave me His righteousness in exchange for my sinfulness. He covered me with His cleansing blood and clothed me with His righteousness, so that I might stand before God as holy and wholly acceptable to Him.

Father, You alone have made it possible for me to be made right with You. Thank You for sending Your Son to live the life no other human being could live. He lived without sin and so made a perfect sacrifice to pay the price for all the sins committed by mankind, including mine. So I can live righteously, not because of a set of rules I keep, but because He has placed His Spirit within me. My motivation is internal, not external. And I am grateful. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Romans 8:31-39

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A Love That Cost, And Lasts.

Romans 8:31-39

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. – Romans 8:39 NLT

How great is God’s love for you? This seems to be the gist of Paul’s point in the closing section of chapter eight. He reminds us, “If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” (Romans 8:31b NLT). God is on our side. He has chosen us, sent His Son to die for us and, as a result of Christ’s substitionary death of the cross, restored us to a right relationship with Himself. All as an expression of His great love for us. So if God loved us that much, what could ever stand in His way when it comes to Him finishing what He has begun in our lives? “Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” (Romans 8:32 NLT). In other words, won’t God complete His ongoing act of transformation in our lives? Peter assures us that the answer to this question is a resounding, “Yes!”

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires” (2 Peter 1:3-4 NLT). God loves us too much to leave us like we are. He loves us too much to allow us to try and live the Christian life in our own power and at the mercy of a host of enemies who would love nothing better than to destroy and defeat us. They can accuse and condemn us all they want, but their efforts are in vain. Because God loves us and His Son sits at His right hand interceding and pleading with God for us.

Nothing and no one can ever separate us from the love of our Father and our Savior. But the problem is that we tend to view God’s love based on what is going on around us. We judge His love according to how well things are going for us. If life is going well, we assume that God must be pleased with us. But let something go wrong in our lives, and we automatically assume that God is upset with us – in other words, He has fallen out of love with us. But Paul would argue against such a conclusion. “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?” (Romans 8:35 NLT). Paul answers his own question: “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us” (Romans 8:36 NLT). Paul was convinced that absolutely NOTHING could ever separate God’s children from His love. God’s love for us is unlimited. It transcends time and space. He loves us just as much in life as He will love us after death. His love for us is as great today as it will be in eternity. Our location can’t diminish or influence God’s love. Our circumstances can’t determine God’s love for us. The presence of opposition or the reality of difficulties are not determiners of God’s love for us. Paul reminds us, “not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love” (Romans 8:38 NLT). And here’s the really amazing thing. We can’t separate ourselves from God’s love either! You cannot cause God to fall out of love for you. His love is not fickle and fleeting like ours. He doesn’t love you one day and not the next. His love is constant and unchanging.

As we live out our lives on this earth, we must constantly remind ourselves of God’s unwavering love for us. Even as we progress toward Christ-likeness, we will fail and at times, fall away. We will continue to struggle with sin and sometimes give in to the desires of our sin nature. But at no point will God fall out of love for us. The degree of His love was reflected in the death of His Son. He loved us so much that He sent His own Son to die for us. But He raised His Son back to life as a vivid reminder of the kind of power He has at His disposal to finish His complete transformation of our lives. God’s love encompasses our salvation as well as our ultimate glorification. But is also includes our current sanctification. He is loving us even as we live out our lives in this fallen world. We may not always recognize it or feel it, but His love is there nonetheless. And nothing we encounter in this life has the capacity to ever separate us from that love. God will complete what He began. He will love us all the way to the end. “Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us” (Romans 8:37 NLT).

Father, it is so hard to imagine the kind of love Paul is talking about. I tend to judge Your love based on human standards. I fall in and out of love with people all the time. My love is fickle and fleeting. But Yours is constant and unwavering. You love me in spite of me. You love me consistently and constantly. You love me all the time and my circumstances are not an indicator or barometer of that love. Give me the capacity to recognize and appreciate Your love regardless of what is going on around me. Help me to rest in Your love, even when I have done something that I believe might cause You to “un-love” me. I want to live in Your love. I want to rest in Your love. I want to rejoice in Your love – every day of my life. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Galatians 1:1-10

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Pseudo Good News.

Galatians 1:1-10

Obviously, I am not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. – Galatians 1:10 NLT

After a brief, yet heartfelt greeting, Paul cuts to the chase. He is writing to new believers living throughout the region called Galatia (now modern Turkey), and he wants to warn them about a problem he sees going on among them. He pulls no punches, but is extremely blunt with his assessment of the situation. “I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ” (Galatians 1:6 NLT). Paul is completely baffled by the reports he has heard coming out of Galatia. Of the 13 letters that Paul wrote that became part of the canon of Scripture, this is believed to be the first one. It was likely written some time around 49 A.D. Since the time of Jesus’ resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Gospel has spread throughout the known world. It had made its way to Galatia and Gentiles were coming to faith in Christ. But as the Gospel spread, so did a lot of false teaching. There was no New Testament Scriptures at this time. There were few, if any, elders or leaders for these new congregations of believers springing up all over the place. There was little in the way of an established doctrine for the Church. Much of what Paul and others wrote in these letters became what we now have as the New Testament. Their writings, penned under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, became the foundation of the doctrine to which we still adhere today. They were addressing issues and problems that were creeping up as the Gospel spread and the Church grew in numbers. Immediately after Pentecost, most of the early converts to Christianity were Jews, but that had begun to change as the Good News was carried around the world. Increasingly more and more Gentiles, or non-Jews, were coming to faith. And because Jesus and His disciples had been Jews, there was a strong tie to Judaism in those early days. Many of the Jewish converts were of the opinion that belief in Christ was simply an extension or add-on to their Jewish faith or heritage. In other words, becoming a Christ-follower also required that you become a Jew, submitting to all the Jewish laws and traditions. In time, a group who held an extreme form of this view rose up. They came to be known as the Judaizers. It seems that they were having a strong influence in places like Galatia, telling Gentile converts that their faith in Christ was incomplete or inadequate. They were teaching that faith in Christ alone was not enough. More was required of them. They must also become converts to Judaism, all males must go through the ritual of circumcision, and they must keep the Law and adhere to all Jewish traditions and customs. As you can imagine, this caused a great deal of confusion for these new believers.

And it caused a great deal of anger in Paul. This became one of the major themes in his letters. He warned his readers, “You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News, but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ” (Galatians 1:6-7 NLT). Paul makes it clear that what these believers are hearing is NOT the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is some kind of an aberration. It is a “different way,” but not the one true way. It is a false gospel, but not the true Gospel concerning faith in Christ alone. And Paul gives his feelings about this pseudo gospel and those who are promoting it: “Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who practices a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you” (Galatians 1:8 NLT). Paul was anything but tolerant and inclusive. He was not a proponent of the heresy that all religions lead to God. He was not politically correct or willing to accommodate all views. As far as he was concerned, there was one Gospel and it did not include conversion to Judaism or adherence to the Law. The Gospel Paul preached required faith in Christ alone and nothing more. It was faith-based, not works-based. It had no place for earning or merit. What made the Good News good news was that it was a free gift, unhampered by human effort or achievement. Gone were the days when sacrifice and law-keeping were the required means of pursuing a right relationship with God. No amount of either one had ever truly made anyone right with God. But with His death on the cross, Jesus had satisfied the just demands of God once and for all. He had paid the price for our sins with His own life. No more lambs needed to be sacrificed. No more hopeless attempts at trying to keep the Law to perfection were necessary. Salvation had been provided by Christ and was not dependent on the efforts of man anymore.

So Paul boldly and aggressively deals with this issue right up front. He is anything but subtle. And he makes it clear, “I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God” (Galatians 1:10 NLT). Paul is a servant of Jesus Christ. He answers to Him and Him alone. He cared more about what God thought about him, than what men did. This was not a popularity contest for Paul. He had been commissioned by Jesus Himself to take the Good News of salvation in Christ alone through faith alone to the world. He would not tolerate the teaching or preaching of any other gospel. He would not put up with those who attempted to redefine the Gospel as Jesus plus anything.

Father, it is so easy to try to add to the Gospel. We so want to put our twist on it. We want to add rules and requirements that are unnecessary and only muddy the water. We crave achievement and recognition for our efforts. We have been brainwashed to believe that we have to DO something to earn Your forgiveness and favor. But salvation is a gift. It was made possible by what Your Son did on the cross. It has nothing to do with human effort or earning. As we read through the letter of Galatians, help us see where we may be trying to add to the Gospel even today. Open our eyes and help us give up all attempts at self-righteousness and once again place our faith in the righteousness of Christ alone. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Day 144 – Matthew 27:57-60; Mark 15:42-46; Luke 23:50-54; John 19:31-37

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Down to the Last Detail.

Matthew 27:57-60; Mark 15:42-46; Luke 23:50-54; John 19:31-37

These things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures that say, “Not one of this bones will be broken,” and “They will look on the one they have pierced.” – John 19:36-37 NLT

The death of Jesus was a well-orchestrated event, planned by God Himself and implemented with divine precision and detail. Nothing was overlooked or left to chance. At no point in the proceedings was God ever out of control or having to hastily respond to the plans of men. From the moment of His birth, Jesus’ entire life was predetermined by God. Even the timing of His death was part of God’s plan. And every single event that surrounded His death, while chaotic in appearance, was methodically thought out and controlled by God. And it had all been predicted by God through His prophets, hundreds of years earlier. Isaiah, referring to the Messiah, wrote “He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave” (Isaiah 53:9 NLT). And we read in the Gospel accounts that Joseph of Arimethea, a rich man and member of the Jewish high council who had been secret follower of Jesus, went to Pilate and asked for permission to take the body of Jesus for burial. Matthew tells us that Joseph placed the body of Jesus in his own newly carved tomb. God the Father was not going to allow His Son’s body to be placed in a common burial plot for criminals. He would be buried in a rich man’s tomb. The prophet Zechariah had written hundreds of years earlier, “They will look on me on whom they have pierced and mourn for him as an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died” (Zechariah 12:10 NLT). This was another Messianic prophecy, speaking of the one for whom the Israelites had long awaited. And we read in the book of John that the Roman guards, in an attempt to guarantee Jesus’ death, “pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out” (John 19:34 NLT). And because the Jewish religious leaders wanted the bodies of Jesus and the two criminals who were crucified along with Him taken down before the Sabbath, the Roman guards broke their legs to hasten their deaths. But because Jesus was already dead, His legs were left intact. This was in direct fulfillment of the words of David found in Psalm 34: “He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken” (Psalm 34:20 NET).

John tells us that “these things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures.” The death of Jesus had been predicted because it had been predetermined. It was all part of God’s divine plan for redeeming a lost and dying world. It was necessary in order for man’s guilt to be dealt with and God’s wrath to be satisfied. All of these things happened just as God had planned them to happen. And John tells us that what he wrote in his account was “from an eyewitness giving an accurate account. He speaks the truth so that you also can believe” (John 19:35 NLT). There was method to the madness. There was a purpose behind it all. As gruesome and hideous as the death of Jesus was, it was necessary. It was the only way for God to deal with sin and still be able to save the sinner. Isaiah reminds us that Jesus “was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all” (Isaiah 53:5-6 NLT). What Jesus suffered, God ordained. All so that we could be saved.

Father, what an incredible, amazing plan. I can’t even begin to understand it all. But the detail and the precision of it all is mind-blowing. This was not just some random act of violence or injustice. This was Your divine plan for man’s redemption being acted out in human history. Down to the last detail. Thank You! Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Day 143 – Matthew 27:51-56; Mark 15:38-41; Luke 23:45-49

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An Earth-Shaking Event.

Matthew 27:51-56; Mark 15:38-41; Luke 23:45-49

The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people. – Matthew 27:51-53 NLT

It’s hard for us to grasp just how momentous and significant the death of Jesus was. Each of the gospel writers tell us how His life ended. Matthew says that “Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit” (Matthew 27:500 NLT). Mark describes it this way: “Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last” (Mark 15:37 NLT). Luke gives a bit more detail, recording that “Jesus shouted, ‘Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!’ And with those words he breathed his last” (Luke 23:46 NLT). Finally, John records that Jesus was offered a sponge soaked in sour wine, and when He had tasted it he said, “‘It is finished!’ Then he bowed his head and released his spirit” (John 19:30 NLT). In each case, we see Jesus succumbing to the torture and pain to which He had been subjected. His body finally gave in to all the abuse, and Jesus closed His eyes and died. But at that moment, when it appeared that everything was over and His life was ended, some incredible, earth-shattering events took place. Matthew tells us that at that exact moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in half, from top to bottom. But that’s not all. The earth shook, rocks split apart and tombs opened. There were some significant geological phenomena that went on. Matthew goes on to tell us that the earthquake itself was so intense that it terrified the Roman soldiers who were overseeing the crucifixion. Jesus’ death was anything but normal or uneventful. It was spectacular and special because it signified a momentous change in the relationship between God and man. What is fascinating is that in the final moments of Jesus’ death, the leading priests, teachers of religious law, and the elders mocked Jesus, saying, “He saved others, but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him!” (Matthew27:42 NLT). But rather than save Himself, Jesus dies so that He might save others. He died so that we might live. And at the moment He died, something miraculous happened. “The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead” (Matthew 27:52 NLT). Jesus did not save Himself from death, but in dying, He restored these people from death. He delivered them from the grave. This miraculous sign proved that He was who He claimed to be. He really was the King of Israel, and even in death, He had power over the grave. As He hung lifeless on the cross, He brought life back to those who had been dead. And three days later, when He rose from the dead, these rejuvenated individuals would appear in the city of Jerusalem. In essence, they represented the “first fruits,” a symbol of what is to come. We don’t know if these people went with the Lord when He ascended, or if they stayed on earth. If they stayed on earth, they would have had to have died a second time, just as Lazarus did. But what we do know is that their restored lives were evidence of Jesus’ victory over death. He had truly conquered the grave. These people had been dead, but were now raised to new life, and they would appear to many who knew them, proving the veracity of Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God.

When most men die, their story ends. Their influence dies with them. But Jesus’ death made a powerful impact on the world. It literally shook the earth. It shattered rocks. It opened graves. It raised the dead. It defeated sin and death. It satisfied the demands of a just and holy God. It made possible new life and a restored relationship with God the Father. It was a game-changer and it continues to impact the world today. Jesus wasn’t just another well-meaning martyr dying for a cause. He was the innocent Son of God, giving His life as payment for the sins of all mankind. His death was a powerful antidote to the curse of sin and the disease of death. What Jesus did on the cross struck a fatal blow to the enemy and eliminated the strangle hold he had on the lives and souls of men. It was earth-shaking, paradigm-shattering, and sin-conquering. Jesus had done His part. He had fulfilled His Father’s will, and He was able to say, “It is finished.” Now the rest was up to God the Father.

Father, no man’s death has ever had the impact that the death of Jesus did. Earthquakes, miraculous signs and resurrected lives accompanied the death of Jesus. Because His death was like no other. His death was effective and powerful. It wasn’t the end of something, but the beginning. Life as we know it was changed that day. The relationship between God and man changed that day. All because Jesus died. Thank You for sending Your Son as a sacrifice for me. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Day 142 – Matthew 27:45-50; Mark 15:33-37; Luke 23:44-46; John 19:28-30

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Access Granted.

Matthew 27:45-50; Mark 15:33-37; Luke 23:44-46; John 19:28-30

By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. – Luke 23:44-45 NLT

Some of the last words spoken by Jesus from the cross were, “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?” (Mark 15:34 NLT). This took place at the most crucial moment during His entire ordeal. It was at this point that all the sins of mankind were placed on Him. The penalty and burden of all the sins of all time were transferred onto Jesus and His holy, righteous Father had to turn away. For the first and only time, God the Father and God the Son were separated. Their inseparable bond was broken. No longer could God look on Jesus and say, “This is My Son in whom I am well pleased.” He could not look on His Son at all, because of the sins of men. This scene is similar to that in the Old Testament during the days of the Tabernacle in the wilderness. Each year, on the Day of Atonement, Aaron was instructed by God to select two goats. One was sacrificed as a sin offering for the forgiveness of the sins of the people. This first goat was slaughtered and its blood was taken inside the curtain into the Holy of Holies, where it was sprinkled on the Mercy Seat. This would purify the Most Holy Place from the sins and rebellion of the people. Then Aaron would sprinkle the remainder of the blood throughout the Tabernacle, purifying it as well. The second goat, called the scapegoat, was kept alive. After having cleansed the Most Holy Place, the Tabernacle and the altar, Aaron was to place his hands on the head of the goat and confess over it all the wickedness, rebellion, and sins of the people of Israel. This act symbolically transferred the people’s sins onto the goat. It bore their sins – the sins of the entire nation of Israel. Then the goat was driven into the wilderness, away from the presence of God, where it was left to die. This event had to take place every single year in order to provide cleansing and forgiveness of sin for the people. But when Jesus died, He satisfied the demands of God once and for all. The book of Hebrews tells us, “The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship” (Hebrews 10:1 NLT). Instead, they served as a constant reminder of their sins year after year. But Jesus came to change all that. “For God’s will was for us to made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time” (Hebrews 10:10 NLT). “But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time” (Hebrews 10:12 NLT). Jesus, our scapegoat, took on all our sins and bore the penalty we deserved. He paid our debt with His own life – once and for all.

And when Jesus cried out on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?, it was not cry of surprise or despair. He was not off guard by what was happening. He was actually quoting Psalm 22:1. That incredible Psalm goes on to describe the death of Jesus in amazing detail. “My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat. They divine my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing” (Psalm 22:16-18 NLT). This moment on the cross, when Jesus was temporarily separated from His Son due to the sins of mankind, was all part of the plan. It had to happen. Jesus had to become our scapegoat. And when He had taken on our sins, an amazing thing happened. Luke tells us that at that moment, in the Temple, the heavy curtain that hung at the entrance into the Most Holy Place, was torn from top to bottom. This symbolic barrier between God and man, separating them from one another because of  the holiness of God and the sins of men, was ripped down the middle. No longer would there be a barrier preventing men from having access to God. There would be no more need for a sacrificial lamb or for blood to be sprinkled by the high priest on the Mercy Seat. When Jesus took on the weight, the burden and the penalty of our sins, He did so once and for all. The writer of Hebrews tells us, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place” (Hebrews 10:19-20 NLT). Jesus bore the penalty for our sins so we wouldn’t have to. He suffered separation from the Father so we could gain access to the Father. He died so that we might live. He suffered so we might be saved. So “let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22 NLT).

Father, I can’t thank You enough for this incredible plan of Yours. That You would allow Your own Son to take on my sins and die in my place blows me away. I can’t fathom why You would do something so incredible. I know it was not because I deserved it. It was because of Your love. Rather than giving me what I justly deserved, You gave me what I could never have earned on my own – Your grace, mercy, favor and forgiveness. Your Son’s death provided me with access into Your very presence. The barrier is removed. Access has been granted. Thank You! Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Day 141 – Matthew 27:35-44; Mark 15:24-32; Luke 23:33-43; John 19:18-27

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It Was Love.

Matthew 27:35-44; Mark 15:24-32; Luke 23:33-43; John 19:18-27

A Sign was fastened above Jesus’ head announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” – Matthew 27:37 NLT

Jesus was guilty. Yes, He was guilty of being the King of the Jews., and it was for that reason He was crucified. Over and over again in the Gospel accounts, that term is used to describe Jesus. It was the main point of questioning by Pilate. It was the one point of accusation to which He would respond when questioned. It was how Pilate presented Him to the people. It was why He was mocked by the Roman guards and what caused them to place a purple robe on His shoulders and a crown of thorns on His head. Pilate even went as far as to have it written on the piece of wood that was nailed to the cross above Jesus’ head, signifying His “crime.” Interestingly enough, the Jewish religious leaders tried to get Pilate to change the wording, asking him to have it changed to “He said, I am the King of the Jews.” But Pilate refused. As Jesus was being crucified, the leading priests and teachers of religious law stood at the foot of the cross, mocking Him. “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself!” (Mark 15:31 NLT). They shouted, “Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe him!” (Mark 15:32 NLT).  Even one of the criminals who was being crucified next to Him scoffed, saying, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself – and us, too, while you’re at it!” (Luke 23:39 NLT).

And here’s the amazing thing: Jesus could have saved Himself. He could have come down off the cross and put an end to His own suffering. He could have dealt with His enemies in righteous indignation, giving them exactly what they deserved – the full wrath of a holy God. But instead, Jesus responded, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34 NLT). And He continued to allow Himself to be ridiculed and mocked. He continued to allow His life to ebb away, so that the very ones who were hurling abuse at Him might one day believe in Him and find forgiveness for their sins and a restored relationship with the Father. Yes, Jesus had the full capacity and power to come down off that cross, because He really was the King of the Jews and He really was the Son of God. He was divine, and yet He suffered and died. Why? What would possess Jesus to go through what He did? Why would He allow His own creation to mock and murder Him? I think the answer is found in the words of a song that I haven’t heard in quite some time. It expresses the reality of what held Jesus to that cross that day, and caused Him to give His life for you and for me. Read them slowly and think about them. Consider the significance of what they say. And then express your gratitude to Jesus for what He has done.

He could’ve called ten thousand angels
To deliver Him that day.
But He hung there in all His anguish
To prepare for me a way.

It wasn’t nails that held Him to the tree
Nor the angry crowd that cried crucify
For when Jesus died upon Calvary
It was love that held Him there.

Oh what love beyond all measure
That He gave His life for me
And I’m so glad that one day in glory
His Blessed Face I’ll see.

It wasn’t nails that held Him to the tree
Nor the angry crowd that cried crucify
For when Jesus died upon Calvary
It was love that held Him there.

Every day I’ll tell the story
Of His precious love for me
How He bled and died on Calvary
There to prove His love for me.

Jesus, You literally could have called ten thousand angels. You could have stopped the whole affair and decided that enough was enough. You could have turned Your full divine power against those who were crucifying You, and You would have been completely justified in Your actions. But instead, You remained faithful to Your Father’s plan, and You willingly sacrificed Your life for ours. It wasn’t nails that held you there. It wasn’t Roman guards who kept you on the cross. It wasn’t man-made laws or trumped-up charges that caused Your death. It was love. You died because You loved us. You died because Your Father loved us. It was love that held You there and I am forever grateful. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Day 116 – Matthew 26:21-25; Mark 14:18-21; Luke 22:21-23; John 13:21-30

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God’s Perfect Plan.

Matthew 26:21-25; Mark 14:18-21; Luke 22:21-23; John 13:21-30

Jesus responded, “It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl.” And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him.” – John 13:26-27 NLT

It is easy to read the account of Jesus and His disciples having their Passover meal together and treat each of the various elements as separate incidents. We see the washing of the feet as one scene. Then we see Jesus breaking the bread and giving it to His disciples as another. The revealing by Jesus that one of them would betray Him is yet another separate scene in our minds. But they are all part of a whole. This was one solitary evening that revolved around the Passover meal. In and of itself, this was a significant occasion, one that held great value in the hearts and minds of the disciples. But on this particular evening, it had taken on much greater significance because of what was about to happen. There is a tension in the room that, for the most part, goes unnoticed by the disciples. They are oblivious to all that is happening behind the scenes on both an earthly and spiritual level, that will bring this week and Jesus’ life to a climax.

It is important to remember that this was a spiritual battle. It had been since the day Jesus was born. Satan had been out to destroy Jesus from the moment He arrived in Bethlehem as a baby. You recall the efforts of Herod when he received news from the Magi that a king of the Jews had been born. This would have been up to two years after Jesus’ birth. As the Roman-appointed king of the Jews, Herod took this news badly and had all the baby boys two-years and younger living in the vicinity of Bethlehem killed. Who was driving his actions? Satan. Because he knew who Jesus was and he was desperate to eliminate Jesus. At the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry, immediately after His baptism, He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness where He spent 40 days and nights fasting. At the end of that time, weakened by thirst and hunger, Satan showed up. His mission was to convince Jesus to give up His mission. He offered Him alternatives. He appealed to His senses, His vanity, His pride. All things any normal human being would have given in to. But Jesus was the God-man, and would not listen to the lies of the enemy. Eventually, Satan left Him, but he never gave up his quest to eliminate Jesus. He used the religious leaders to attack Him. He attempted over and over again to discredit Him. And finally, Satan would put it into the hearts of men to destroy Him. He believed that by killing Jesus he could destroy God’s plan. By eliminating the messenger, he could stop the message. You see, even Satan had a limited perspective. He didn’t know the end of the story.

It was in the middle of the Passover meal that Jesus chose to reveal the sobering news that one of their own would betray Him. “But here at this table, sitting among us as a friend, is the man who will betray me. For it has been determined that the Son of Man must die. But what sorrow awaits the one who betrays him.” (Luke 22:21 NLT). This news was shocking to the disciples. John records, “The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom he could mean” (John 13:22 NLT). Peter got John’s attention and had him ask Jesus who He was talking about? They wanted to know who it was who would do such a thing. A few even asked if it was them. Jesus responded, “It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl” (John 13:26 NLT). This is significant.

There are many elements to the Passover meal that carried special significance and meaning. Everything had a purpose and was a symbol that was meant to communicate a spiritual truth. At this point in the meal, Jesus more than likely took a piece of unleavened bread, wrapped in around a small portion of the sacrificial lamb and then dipped it into a solution made with bitter herbs. Each of these elements on their own would have carried specific symbolism related to the release of the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. The lamb represented the innocent, spotless lambs the people had killed and whose blood they had sprinkled on the door posts and lintels of their homes in order to turn away God’s wrath in the form of the death angel. The unleavened bread had always represented the haste by which the people departed Egypt. They had no time to add yeast to their flour. But during the meal, Jesus would state that the unleavened bread now represented His own body, which was going to be broken for them. The bitter herbs were symbolic of the suffering of the people. Do you catch the symbolism as it relates to Jesus? The broken body of the sacrificed lamb, wrapped in sinlessness and dipped in suffering.

It says that Jesus took the bread, dipped it into the bowl and handed to it Judas. What is amazing is that Judas ate it. You would have thought that he would have rejected it and vehemently denied that he was the one. But instead, he took the bread, wrapped around the small piece of lamb, dipped in the bitter herbs and ate it. And John makes it clear that it was at this point that Satan entered into him. He had already made up his mind to do what he was going to do long before Satan entered into him. But Satan is an opportunist and he sought to utilize Judas’ hardened heart to his advantage. The deal between Judas and the high priest had already been struck. Now it was just a matter of following through on his commitment. “So Judas left at once, going out into the night” (John 13:30 NLT). The sinless, innocent Son of God, was about to have His body broken and undergo the most severe suffering known to man. Satan thought this was all his doing. He thought he had come up with the perfect plan, but little did he know that this was all the preordained work of God Himself. Peter makes this point clear in his sermon preached immediately after the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Addressing the predominantly Jewish audience, he said, “But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed” (Acts 2:23 NLT). This was all part of God’s perfect plan. It all happened just as God had orchestrated it, long before the foundation of the world. We don’t know what Judas was thinking or what his motivation was. But he had a limited perspective. So did Satan. He is not omniscient or all-knowing. He truly believed this was the beginning of the end of Jesus, but he would prove to be so wrong. This was beginning, but of the end of him. Jesus was going to conquer sin, death and Satan with His actions. His betrayal was part of the plan. It had to happen just the way it did. And Jesus had to die in just the way He did. It was all part of God’s perfect plan of redemption.

Father, I can’t thank You enough for what You planned and Your Son accomplished. At no point were you ever out of control. There was never a moment when Satan had the upper hand. You were working Your plan to perfection, down to the last detail. And so I should trust that You are still working Your perfect plan perfectly today. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org