We Are All Cowards Empowered
Exodus 2-4 | Psalm 18 | John 18
Our reading from Exodus today introduces us to Moses, one of the great leaders of the Israelites in Old Testament time. But we meet Him, first as a helpless infant, then eventually as a bit of a coward and as a man lacking confidence in his abilities: God told him to go to Egypt with the power of the Almighty behind him to lead the Israelites out, but he complained, exclaiming that 'he has never been eloquent and is slow of speech and tongue.'
After these somewhat faithless remarks of Moses, God understandably replies, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say" (vv.11-12) - to which Moses again asks that God choose someone else.
I find it quite easy to find sympathy for Moses at this time: he is asked to return to Egypt to make demands of Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of the country - which mortal wisdom would consider life threatening and should it fail, incredibly embarrasing in front of his fellow Israelites.
But such wisdom fails to take into account the presence and power of God. Earlier, God had said that He would be with Moses (3:12), and now the Lord has equipped him with knowledge of His name ("I AM"), shown him His presence and power with the staff/snake and the leprous hand, and finally promised to empower him, helping him speak and teaching him what to say.
God had a plan for Moses' life and empowered him to fulfill it: as mentioned previously, Moses was a great leader - arguably the most prominent man in the Old Testament. But God didn't just have a plan for Moses, He had a Plan for the whole world in which His will for Moses' life formed a mere sub-plan. This Grand Plan was God's will to restore the world to what it was when He first created it: perfect.
Moses is not the only person to play a role in God's Grand Plan, in fact: he is one among billions. Every believer has a role to play, every believer is used by God all throughout their life to fulfill His will.
If you are wondering what God's plan is for you, it starts with living the way He has spelled out in the Bible. If there's something you know you shouldn't do, ask God to empower you to withstand the temptation, and trust in His strength to withhold yourself from doing it. If there is something that is glorifying to God and you know from reading His Word that He wants you to do it: trust in His empowering of you to do it - He will be with you in it and any consequences. "God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it" (1 Cor. 10:13b).
By nature, like Moses, we are all cowards. It is often hard to trust that God is with us and that He has empowered us; but He has - we are all 'cowards empowered'. The very fact that He has called us to Him, that we have assurance of our salvation, shows that after anything else, we are blessed beyond all that we deserve. It is the same God that sent His Son to die for us so that we could call Him 'Father', that watches over us and is seeking to use us in His Plan for the world. Let us follow the example of Jesus in today's reading of John, who said before going to His death: "Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?" (v.11).
Praise God for watching over you and pray that you may know His will for your life, and that you may live His way for His glory.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
The Cross of Christ
The Cross of Christ
Exodus 5-7 | Psalm 19 | John 19
None of the four gospels go into explicit detail when mentioning the Crucifixion of Jesus: John's Gospel simply recounts: "Here they crucified him, and with him two others - one on each side and Jesus in the middle" (v.18).
A crucifixion is a humiliating and torturous death, common within the Roman Empire at the time but only inflicted upon the lowest types of criminals, slaves and provincials. Once convicted, the criminals were generally scourged with a 'flagellum' (a whip with leather thongs on the end - which doubtless significantly weakened the convict) and forced to march carrying the wooden beam that they would soon be fastened to. Once the place of execution was reached, the criminal would be stripped naked, laid on the ground with the cross beam under their shoulders and had their arms or hands tied or nailed to it. This cross-bar was then lifted and secured to an upright post so that the victim's feet were just clear of the ground. There the condemned man was left to die of hunger and exhaustion.
Jesus, though wanting to find some other way, nevertheless went without reservation to such a death and we have to ask ourselves: 'why?'
The factors leading to Jesus' death can be seen clearly to have begun with the betrayal of Judas, who sold out Jesus for a sum of money equivalent to the payment for four and a half month's work. But the death wouldn't have occurred if Pilate had not agreed to it - he felt that Jesus was innocent but bowed to pressure and his own fears, pronouncing judgement on an innocent man. But as Jesus said to him: he was only exercising authority legitimately given to him, those who would have him use that authority for unjust purposes are guilty of a greater sin.
The leaders of the Jews wanted Jesus out of the way so that their authority and power would not be threatened. It was they who paid Judas to Betray Jesus and it was they who handed Jesus over to Pilate and begged for the death penalty. Surely the reason for Jesus' torturous and humiliating death is found in the selfish acts of these men and the cowardly and treacherous acts of Pilate and Judas?
Yet to think this would be completely wrong: the reason for Jesus' death lies in you and I - it was our selfishness, expressed in sin and rebellion against God, that put Jesus on the cross more so than Judas or Pilate or the Leaders of the Jews did or ever could. Jesus was on that Cross not because He was forced onto it, He went willingly because God His and our Father wanted Him there - as Jesus said: "Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matt. 26:53).
God had a purpose in Jesus' death: to reconcile mankind to Himself. The death of God the Son, an innocent and righteous man in His own right, enabled God to pour out His wrath and indignation into that man so that we, the sinners, could enjoy Jesus' deserved righteousness. He was a substitute for mankind: His death diverted God's anger and punishment into Himself, relieving those deserving that anger and punishment, and indeed blessing them with undeserved life with God.
It was God's will to redeem mankind in such a way. That is, it was God the Father's, God the Son's and God the Holy Spirit's unified will, as one God in three persons, that God the Son, Jesus Christ be made man, live a life deserving of God's blessing and presence and give it up on the Cross in order that the fallen human race could take up His righteousness as if their own through faith in the power of His death.
Praise God for His amazing love which saw Him come to earth to give the gift of eternal life to us, who are thoroughly underserving.
Exodus 5-7 | Psalm 19 | John 19
None of the four gospels go into explicit detail when mentioning the Crucifixion of Jesus: John's Gospel simply recounts: "Here they crucified him, and with him two others - one on each side and Jesus in the middle" (v.18).
A crucifixion is a humiliating and torturous death, common within the Roman Empire at the time but only inflicted upon the lowest types of criminals, slaves and provincials. Once convicted, the criminals were generally scourged with a 'flagellum' (a whip with leather thongs on the end - which doubtless significantly weakened the convict) and forced to march carrying the wooden beam that they would soon be fastened to. Once the place of execution was reached, the criminal would be stripped naked, laid on the ground with the cross beam under their shoulders and had their arms or hands tied or nailed to it. This cross-bar was then lifted and secured to an upright post so that the victim's feet were just clear of the ground. There the condemned man was left to die of hunger and exhaustion.
Jesus, though wanting to find some other way, nevertheless went without reservation to such a death and we have to ask ourselves: 'why?'
The factors leading to Jesus' death can be seen clearly to have begun with the betrayal of Judas, who sold out Jesus for a sum of money equivalent to the payment for four and a half month's work. But the death wouldn't have occurred if Pilate had not agreed to it - he felt that Jesus was innocent but bowed to pressure and his own fears, pronouncing judgement on an innocent man. But as Jesus said to him: he was only exercising authority legitimately given to him, those who would have him use that authority for unjust purposes are guilty of a greater sin.
The leaders of the Jews wanted Jesus out of the way so that their authority and power would not be threatened. It was they who paid Judas to Betray Jesus and it was they who handed Jesus over to Pilate and begged for the death penalty. Surely the reason for Jesus' torturous and humiliating death is found in the selfish acts of these men and the cowardly and treacherous acts of Pilate and Judas?
Yet to think this would be completely wrong: the reason for Jesus' death lies in you and I - it was our selfishness, expressed in sin and rebellion against God, that put Jesus on the cross more so than Judas or Pilate or the Leaders of the Jews did or ever could. Jesus was on that Cross not because He was forced onto it, He went willingly because God His and our Father wanted Him there - as Jesus said: "Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matt. 26:53).
God had a purpose in Jesus' death: to reconcile mankind to Himself. The death of God the Son, an innocent and righteous man in His own right, enabled God to pour out His wrath and indignation into that man so that we, the sinners, could enjoy Jesus' deserved righteousness. He was a substitute for mankind: His death diverted God's anger and punishment into Himself, relieving those deserving that anger and punishment, and indeed blessing them with undeserved life with God.
It was God's will to redeem mankind in such a way. That is, it was God the Father's, God the Son's and God the Holy Spirit's unified will, as one God in three persons, that God the Son, Jesus Christ be made man, live a life deserving of God's blessing and presence and give it up on the Cross in order that the fallen human race could take up His righteousness as if their own through faith in the power of His death.
Praise God for His amazing love which saw Him come to earth to give the gift of eternal life to us, who are thoroughly underserving.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Salvation and the Spirit
Salvation and the Spirit
Genesis 46-48 | Psalm 16 | John 16
Today's message will centre around the work of the Spirit in salvation. First, we see from verse 8 of today's reading of John that the Spirit, "will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:" - where Jesus' ministry was to those around Him, the Spirit will move throughout the whole earth, convicting people of their need of the saving work of Jesus. All who trust in Jesus have been convicted by the Holy Spirit of their need for God's grace in salvation through Jesus, a great example of the three persons of the Trinity working towards the common aim.
The presence of the Spirit within believers also (as discussed day 14) enables that believer to grow in holiness and maturity. In this way, the Spirit makes the 'new birth' into God's Kingdom possible, with the creation of a new spiritual life for each believer. In these Spiritual lives, the Spirit establishes a living relationship between the believer and God, and thus fosters understanding and growth in the believer. The Spirit also enables believers to have faith in God: truly the Apostle Paul said, "it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph 2:8-9). Even our faith in God is a gift of God and flows from the Holy Spirit.
Indeed we can surely see that to be a Christian - to be in God's Kingdom - we must house the Holy Spirit within us. Without the Holy Spirit we cannot understand our need for God's salvation, we cannot accept Jesus as our Lord and saviour, and we cannot grow in holiness as God desires. Paul describes the Holy Spirit as a seal that marks believers (Eph. 1:13), and truly it could be said that a definition of a Christian is 'one whom the Spirit of God resides within'.
We finally find that the presence of the Spirit within us is a guarantee of our place in God's Kingdom and our eventual place in Heaven. Paul describes the Holy Spirit as a "deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory" (Eph. 1:14). Truly we who are believers are blessed to be forgiven our sins by God through the death and resurrection of Jesus, and given the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, within us, to help us in our Christian lives and as assurance of God's eternal presence with us!
Praise God again for His gift of the Spirit who worked in you to convict you of your need for Jesus' saving work, thank God for His guaranteed presence with you always and pray that His Spirit will continually empower you to grow in holiness.
Genesis 46-48 | Psalm 16 | John 16
Today's message will centre around the work of the Spirit in salvation. First, we see from verse 8 of today's reading of John that the Spirit, "will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:" - where Jesus' ministry was to those around Him, the Spirit will move throughout the whole earth, convicting people of their need of the saving work of Jesus. All who trust in Jesus have been convicted by the Holy Spirit of their need for God's grace in salvation through Jesus, a great example of the three persons of the Trinity working towards the common aim.
The presence of the Spirit within believers also (as discussed day 14) enables that believer to grow in holiness and maturity. In this way, the Spirit makes the 'new birth' into God's Kingdom possible, with the creation of a new spiritual life for each believer. In these Spiritual lives, the Spirit establishes a living relationship between the believer and God, and thus fosters understanding and growth in the believer. The Spirit also enables believers to have faith in God: truly the Apostle Paul said, "it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph 2:8-9). Even our faith in God is a gift of God and flows from the Holy Spirit.
Indeed we can surely see that to be a Christian - to be in God's Kingdom - we must house the Holy Spirit within us. Without the Holy Spirit we cannot understand our need for God's salvation, we cannot accept Jesus as our Lord and saviour, and we cannot grow in holiness as God desires. Paul describes the Holy Spirit as a seal that marks believers (Eph. 1:13), and truly it could be said that a definition of a Christian is 'one whom the Spirit of God resides within'.
We finally find that the presence of the Spirit within us is a guarantee of our place in God's Kingdom and our eventual place in Heaven. Paul describes the Holy Spirit as a "deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory" (Eph. 1:14). Truly we who are believers are blessed to be forgiven our sins by God through the death and resurrection of Jesus, and given the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, within us, to help us in our Christian lives and as assurance of God's eternal presence with us!
Praise God again for His gift of the Spirit who worked in you to convict you of your need for Jesus' saving work, thank God for His guaranteed presence with you always and pray that His Spirit will continually empower you to grow in holiness.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Our Righteousness Through Christ
Our Righteousness Through Christ
Genesis 49-50, Exodus 1 | Psalm 17 | John 17
David's plea for justice in today's Psalm could be summarised as follows:
Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea: (1)
If you test me you will find nothing for I have resolved to follow your path. (2-5)
Protect me from my enemies for they seek my harm. (6-14)
In righteousness I will see your face and I will be happy. (15)
Central to David's plea is his insistence of his own righteousness. In this and most Old Testament cases, the application of the word righteous (with respect to God) to a person implies a correct relationship with the will of God as opposed to a sinless standing before God - i.e., a 'righteous' person in the Old Testament is most likely declared so as they truly seek God's will though they still sin.
The conviction in David's writing is most important to consider: 'Lord, I seek to do what you want: please look after me.' David has reflected on his life and is convinced of his own desire to do what God wants of him. His claim to righteousness is neither false humilty or arrogance: it is the result of honest reflection.
In general today and in the New Testament (and for the remainder of today's message), the application of the word righteous (again, with respect to God) to someone means that that person has a right standing before God - i.e., God views that person as being without sin and therefore perfect in His sight.
Now, all believers have been declared righteous through trusting in Christ. Again, this righteousness is not the type referred to by David: believers declared righteous are said to be without sin in God's sight.
I, and I know many other Christians, have often found it hard to truly believe this wonderful truth - especially after failing God time and time again - but it is nevertheless the case. Indeed, having faith in Christ - the one prerequisite for becoming a Christian - means trusting that His death and resurrection secured believers' righteousness in God's sight: faith in Christ means understanding and applying the truth that through Christ and through Christ only we are worthy to live in a relationship with God.
After failing repeadedly, or perhaps in what they consider particularly heinous ways, too many Christians (I among them at times) stubbornly and often unconsciously refuse to believe that they in Christ are worthy of God. It may be that they wonder whether the heinous sins or string of sins committed can be overlooked by God. They cannot: God does not overlook any sin. But the sins of all believers were paid for by Jesus on the Cross: the punishment for every sin was taken by God the Son so that believers, in unity with Christ through their faith in Him, could be viewed with His righteousness. To think that God couldn't forgive a believer for a particular sin is to display a lack of faith and display your belief that the Cross was not strong enough.
Just as David approached God without arrogance though with confidence and conviction in his standing before Him, so too we must approach God and all things knowing that in Christ, and only in Christ, we are righteous and so can come before God with confidence and thanksgiving.
Praise God for His plan which secured your righteousness, and pray that you can live always knowing and trusting in Christ's saving power.
Genesis 49-50, Exodus 1 | Psalm 17 | John 17
David's plea for justice in today's Psalm could be summarised as follows:
Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea: (1)
If you test me you will find nothing for I have resolved to follow your path. (2-5)
Protect me from my enemies for they seek my harm. (6-14)
In righteousness I will see your face and I will be happy. (15)
Central to David's plea is his insistence of his own righteousness. In this and most Old Testament cases, the application of the word righteous (with respect to God) to a person implies a correct relationship with the will of God as opposed to a sinless standing before God - i.e., a 'righteous' person in the Old Testament is most likely declared so as they truly seek God's will though they still sin.
The conviction in David's writing is most important to consider: 'Lord, I seek to do what you want: please look after me.' David has reflected on his life and is convinced of his own desire to do what God wants of him. His claim to righteousness is neither false humilty or arrogance: it is the result of honest reflection.
In general today and in the New Testament (and for the remainder of today's message), the application of the word righteous (again, with respect to God) to someone means that that person has a right standing before God - i.e., God views that person as being without sin and therefore perfect in His sight.
Now, all believers have been declared righteous through trusting in Christ. Again, this righteousness is not the type referred to by David: believers declared righteous are said to be without sin in God's sight.
I, and I know many other Christians, have often found it hard to truly believe this wonderful truth - especially after failing God time and time again - but it is nevertheless the case. Indeed, having faith in Christ - the one prerequisite for becoming a Christian - means trusting that His death and resurrection secured believers' righteousness in God's sight: faith in Christ means understanding and applying the truth that through Christ and through Christ only we are worthy to live in a relationship with God.
After failing repeadedly, or perhaps in what they consider particularly heinous ways, too many Christians (I among them at times) stubbornly and often unconsciously refuse to believe that they in Christ are worthy of God. It may be that they wonder whether the heinous sins or string of sins committed can be overlooked by God. They cannot: God does not overlook any sin. But the sins of all believers were paid for by Jesus on the Cross: the punishment for every sin was taken by God the Son so that believers, in unity with Christ through their faith in Him, could be viewed with His righteousness. To think that God couldn't forgive a believer for a particular sin is to display a lack of faith and display your belief that the Cross was not strong enough.
Just as David approached God without arrogance though with confidence and conviction in his standing before Him, so too we must approach God and all things knowing that in Christ, and only in Christ, we are righteous and so can come before God with confidence and thanksgiving.
Praise God for His plan which secured your righteousness, and pray that you can live always knowing and trusting in Christ's saving power.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
The Holy Spirit - Our Heavenly Counselor
The Holy Spirit - Our Heavenly Counselor
Genesis 40-42 | Psalm 14 | John 14
The 14th, 15th and 16th chapters of the Gospel According to John uniquely contain Jesus' most distinctive and extensive teaching on the Holy Spirit. For this reason, today's and the next few days' message will be devoted to exploring the Biblical teaching regarding the Spirit. (In the passages from John, Jesus is speaking to His disciples about the Spirit who will come on them, but it is safe to apply this teaching to all believers for, among other reasons, 'all receive the one Spirit' [1 Cor. 12:13].)
First we see that, according to Jesus' words in verse sixteen of today's reading of John, the Spirit to come is "another Counselor" - i.e., the Spirit is to in some way replace Jesus. He is to come as a representative of Jesus, and in many ways His substitue, enabling the disciples to carry on effective ministry without Jesus' immediate physical presence.
We also see that the Spirit's presence is permanent (v.16) and inward (v.17) - the Spirit lives in us, enabling and helping us to lead a Christian life, pleasing to God and glorifying to His name. Generally speaking, the Spirit provides guidance and instruction to believers, 'teaching us all things and reminding us of all that Jesus said' (v.26), but also helps in more specific ways.
The Apostle Paul tells us in his Letter to the Romans that the Spirit helps us when we pray: "...the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." (Rom. 8:26-27). The unique position of the Spirit as God within us allows His perfect understanding of our thoughts and feelings to be passed on to God the Father. F.F. Bruce exclaims: 'Those longings and aspirations which well up from the depths of our spirit and cannot be imprisoned within the confines of everyday words are instead prayed by the Spirit within us, whose mind is understood immediately by the Father to whom the prayer is addressed.'
The Spirit also works within us to sanctify us - that is, to constantly help us change ourselves and become more like God - more holy. This is a life-long task, and it is often frustrating knowing that purity (perfect accordance with God's Will) will not come until we are in Heaven with God. Nevertheless, to counter the sinful nature within us while on Earth, the fruit of the Spirit is "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Gal. 5:22-23).
Finally, the Spirit's impact in our lives can be said to include the "making real" of God to us. In prayer, spirituality and worship, the Spirit makes the presence of God felt and helps us to remain focussed on Him at all times.
Pray for the continued working of the Spirit within you, molding your life to the Will of God; and praise God for His gift of the Spirit, our helper and guide, our True Counselor.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
The Revelation of the Spirit
The Revelation of the Spirit
Genesis 43-45 | Psalm 15 | John 15
The words of Jesus recorded in today's reading of John begin with two analogies where Jesus and believers are represented by a vine and its branches (respectively). In the imagery of these analogies we can see that just as branches are part of a vine, believers are part of Jesus. Believers, like the branches of a vine, are not independant - they have no source of life within themselves, but rely on Christ. Tasker exclaims, "Believers in Jesus are 'limbs' of His body, and share in the life which results from the sacrifice of that body on the cross".
Through these analogies we see that as believers we are to "be fruitful" - i.e., live for the glory of God, doing His will. We also see that if we "remain in Jesus" (that is: trust always in our need of Jesus for true life) we will be fruitful - indeed we cannot be fruitful outside of Jesus.
The Spirit helps us to remain in Jesus and be fruitful as was discussed yesterday, but also helps through various forms of revelation. Firstly, living within us and being God (the Third Person of the Trinity), the Holy Spirit is uniquely in a position to reveal God to us; and in revealing God, reveal His nature, His will and His truth. By this, we may "know Him better, love Him more, and please Him in all that we do".
We also see that the Spirit reveals Jesus to the world, testifying to His truth (v.26 cf.16:13). It is only through the Spirit that the Good News of Salvation through Jesus is revealed to any one person - it is only through the revelation of the Spirit to a sinner that that sinner may understand their need for Jesus and be saved (therefore another reason why prayer is imperitive when wanting others to find salvation in Christ). The Apostle Paul explains, "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor. 2:14). Furthermore, this revelation continues all of our Christian lives, with the Spirit imparting wisdom and knowledge to understand the Scriptures, and to apply them to our lives (1 Cor. 2:6ff.).
Finally, predicative prophecy and the word of God recorded in the Bible are inspired by the Holy Spirit for our guidance and wisdom. In our reading of John tommorrow, Jesus tells His followers that the Spirit will reveal further truth, which is undoubtably a reference to the New Testament which we are now reading, as well as truth and understanding revealed to Christians accross the Millenia.
But how does the Spirit reveal this truth? From an increased understanding of the Scripture and greater aptitude and insight to apply it in your life; to a greater natural acceptance of the wisdom and rightfulness of God's will; to manipulation of events and your environment to 'direct you indirectly'; to outright communication of some form; to other ways of guidance that God only knows: all are possible to the all-powerful God. While few experience direct communication of the Spirit, all believers are led by the Spirit to grow and "be fruitful" in their Christian lives.
Praise God for all that has been revealed to you by the Spirit: an understanding of the grace of God, an understnading of His word in the Bible, an understanding of your own need for salvation, an understanding of the work of Jesus, and an understanding of the love of God. Without the Spirit these all would seem foolishness to you, and you would indeed be lost.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
The Glory of Christ
The Glory of Christ
Genesis 34-36 | Psalm 12 | John 12
Today's reading from John speaks of great contrast in glory. Jesus entered Jerusalem triumphantly, seated on a donkey as the crowd placed palm leaves in front of Him and praised Him as the king who came in the name of the Lord. He was being glorified and praised... yet He was sitting on a donkey - an "Ass" - not exactly a 'noble steed'! If you consider it further, Jesus didn't even enter the world 'regally' - He was born in a stable to 'average' parents. There is no doubt that Jesus' entry into Jerusalem was triumphal, but it's also clear that what made it so was the people's attitude to Him, they accepted that He was sent from God and didn't seem to look at his mode of transportation.
There are further examples of this contrast in glory. In verse 23, Jesus speaks of His soon-to-come death as the hour of His glorification. Read that again - His coming death is where He will be glorified! In verse 32 He even shows that He knows how He is going to die - on a cross. This was the lowest of the low of deaths to die. This was the punishment reserved for the worst of criminals. Nailed to a cross and left naked, slowly dying. Yet Jesus saw this as His hour of glory!
Of course He explained that like a kernal of wheat which must fall to the ground and die before more can grow from it; so must He die so that others can live. We see in this again, that the measure of glory given to Jesus at His death comes not from physically impressive things (for there was none at the cross!); but from the act of saving the (eternal) lives of others in accordance with God's will.
Jesus' life and death (and resurrection) taught us all a great many things, but today I have chosen to concentrate on this one issue of glory. Being respected, recognised, praised; it's something we each seek, it's something none of us deserve, but it's something promised to us in Christ nevertheless. What's your idea of being glorified? Is it impressing people with possessions or skills? Or is it being treated by God the way Jesus should be treated? The people in Jesus' day were obviously confronted with this problem. You see, many believed in the message Jesus proclaimed, but "because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God." (42-43)
Many today similarly ignore the truth of grace in Christ. They dismiss the words of the Bible as unimportant, dismiss the message of God as irrelevant, and dismiss Jesus' death as unproductive. I suggest that there are two (general) reasons why such views are held. The first is that these people try to provide the glory they crave through fulfilling their own desires; they glorify themselves in their own eyes. The second is that they seek glory in the form of recognition from others around them; they glorify themselves in others' eyes. But if we've learned anything from Jesus today it is that these are empty forms of glory. These are the immaterial. Seeking your glory from yourself or from others is like believing that the people of Jerusalem were impressed with Jesus because He rode in on a donkey. No. In what (let's face it) must have been the work of God, those people recognised the divine and ignored the material. Although they saw a man on an ass, they recognised God as He enetered. So must we.
At some point, if your faith is in Christ, you must have reached a point where you knew you didn't deserve anything. No praise from men, let alone praise from God! You made a commitment to serve Christ, to seek His glory; and making that decision freed you. But one of the greatest struggles I have as a Christian is to remember this. Are you the same? Jesus has promised us future glory with Him. But it's so easy to want worldly glory now as well. Jesus said, "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." True glory will come when we enter heaven and God may say of us, "Well done, good and faithful servant".
Praise God for His glory revealed in His Son - a glory so much more perfect than any earthly glory; and pray that you may live in such a way in that Jesus' glory is seen through you.
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