Posts Tagged ‘ Gospel ’
“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
John 16:33, CSB
Jesus’ body is not in the tomb, so we know that He can overcome all this world can do. Have peace knowing the Savior who defeats sin, death, and the problems of this world.
So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground. “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” asked the men. “He is not here, but he has risen! Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee“
Luke 24:5-6, CSB
Christ is risen. He was dead and buried, but He is not there anymore. Our God and Savior lives.
No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13, CSB
Christ has freed us, and He has freed us from sin by His own blood and from the terror of God by calling us friends.
One of the funniest moments of the 2003 film “Elf” was Buddy the Elf seeing a feral raccoon, spreading out his arms, and asking, “Does someone need a hug?” (It did not go well.)
Something I like to tell people is that on January 9, 2000, Jesus hugged me in welcome to His Family. On July 26, 2000, I finally returned the hug.
It is nice to think about receiving a comforting hug when life feels overwhelming, things are generally crazy, or having just gone through a horrible situation.
It is also nice to look back through the Bible and see how God has been there for His people:
In the Exodus, God said He rescued Israel with a mighty hand and outstretched arm (Exodus 6:6; Deuteronomy 4:34, 5:15, 7:19; Psalm 136:12).
Within Israel and their Exile, God welcomes those who come to Him humbly and for His glory (1 Kings 8:41-43; 2 Chronicles 6:32-33; Ezekiel 20:34).
We can see how God has been taking care of His people, yes even under judgment at times.
What is the most comforting is that God came to us to take the punishment we deserve for disobedience. He promised to do this when He spoke with Abraham 4,000 years ago (Genesis 15), and there are so many places that it is laid out in the Hebrew Scriptures (such as Genesis 22, Psalm 22, and Daniel 9:26).
Good Friday is good, because we see the Creator, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who saw all the sinfulness of this world, come to us in the midst of our fear, pain, and anxiety. The one who stretched out His arm with His might hands came to comfort us with those strong arms and hands.
So, on that terrible Friday 2,000 years ago, Jesus opened His arms for us. We are the feral raccoons, rooting around in garbage and attacking the God who loves us. He took the punishment we deserved, holding back God’s wrath for those of us who will believe.
Yet this same God who took on His own wrath, with those same strong, mighty, scarred arms, reaches out to us to hold us and comfort us.
When we look at the cross, we see God opening His arms to us.
This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Matthew 26:28, NIV
Christ has freed us from sin by His sacrifice. He has saved us from God’s wrath and freed us to live for Him.
So he got up from supper, laid aside his outer clothing, took a towel, and tied it around himself. Next, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around him.
John 13:4-5, CSB
Christ has freed us, including from focusing on ourselves so that we can love others better, to love like Jesus loves us.
He said to them, “It is written, my house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of thieves!”
Matthew 21:13, CSB
Christ has freed us from sin and man-made religion, giving us the will and desire to seek God over personal gain and to love others with the love of Jesus.
Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, he went up to it and found nothing on it except leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” At once the fig tree withered. When the disciples saw it, they were amazed and said, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”
Matthew 21:19-20, CSB
Christ has freed us, most importantly from the curse of sin and death. Nothing we do matters if we are not living in obedient faith in Jesus.
As he approached and saw the city, he wept for it, saying, “If you knew this day what would bring peace — but now it is hidden from your eyes.”
Luke 19:41-42, CSB
Christ has freed us, weeping over our sin and ignorance, calling us to live in His light. Turn to His light and be freed from the shadow of sin and pride.
Happy Palm Sunday!
Let’s talk about the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
The disciples went and did just as Jesus directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt; then they laid their clothes on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their clothes on the road; others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. Then the crowds who went ahead of him and those who followed shouted: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in an uproar, saying, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Matthew 21:6-11, CSB
We call it the Triumphal Entry, but consider the facts:
Now, let’s deal with these, in reverse order:
Jesus triumphal entry was really a humble entry, as the humble servant who came to take away our sins. He did many authoritative things, but that will be discussed later!
It is true that He deserved the praise.
Let us ensure we worship rightly, seeking to know our Savior and Lord rightly, not with our assumptions and unbiblical (or barely biblical) understandings of who Jesus is. It becomes too easy to turn on each other, which is turning on our Lord. (Acts 9:4-5; Matthew 25:31-46)
Be ready to correct, but be gentle and compassionate. We all have worries and fears we work through, just like Jews under Roman occupation desiring salvation from the emperor and corrupt leaders. Be patient with each other, knowing we are all struggling through trying to seek our God, and we all fail and fall short at times.
But know our Lord has come and calls us to peace with each other (Romans 12; 2 Corinthians 5) until His true Triumphal Entry at the end of this age.
a simple man of God 