pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: Christ


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In Partnership

Reading: 1st Corinthians 1:1-9

1st Corinthians 1:9 – “God is faithful, and you were called by him to partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The opening of 1st Corinthians reminds those in these churches of some important things. First, they have been made holy and are called as God’s people. Second, they are bound together with the church universal through their faith in Jesus Christ. These truths continue to hold fast today.

Paul then praises these early believers for God’s grace that is evident in their lives and for the knowledge that they’ve received from God. Paul tells them that all of the spiritual gifts necessary for the church to be the church are present in Corinth. I believe that the same can be said of our churches today. God equips us to do the work of God amongst one another and in the world around us. We are gifted to do this work.

When Paul was writing, it was not an easy time to be a follower of Jesus. The Jews and the Romans were both opposed to this new faith. Persecution was common. That is why Paul encourages them, assuring them that God will keep their testimony blameless. Their lives will match their words and vice versa. This is possible because “God is faithful, and you were called by him to partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” The partnership worked then and continues to work today because God is the foundation and is the source of our strength. In this partnership, may we ever be faithful to our call to witness to the good news of Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord God, you alone have the power to defeat the things of this world. Some of these things are threatening and dangerous. Some are powerful and violent. Some are sneaky and deceitful. God, lead and guide us, strengthen and empower us, fill us with your Spirit and presence so that we may stand firm and can remain true to you alone, our God and King. Amen.


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Bring the Light

Reading: Isaiah 49:5-7

Isaiah 49:6b – “I will also appoint you as a light to the nations, so that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Photo credit: Gian D.

Continuing in Isaiah 49 today, the prophet shares God’s decision. It is not simply a change of heart. The time in exile prophesied by Jeremiah and others is drawing to a close. The 70 years are up. It is time to “restore Jacob to God.” A group will lead the return to God, then larger Israel will follow, also returning to God. To begin the process of returning to the Promised Land, God has honored the prophet, becoming his strength.

While this brings hope and joy to the prophet, God says, “It is not enough.” Yes, God will “raise up” the tribes of Jacob, and, yes, God will bring home “the survivors of exile.” But this is not enough. God’s plan is far bigger than Isaiah envisioned. God works this way in our lives too. Yes, it is awesome that God has brought your family to Jesus Christ. But then God asks, what about your neighbor and the stranger down the street? And what about “those” people in “that” part of town?

In verse 7 we get the full scope of God’s plan: “I will also appoint you as a light to the nations, so that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” God’s plan is to save all people everywhere. That other part of town? Yes. And the people of our reservations and inner cities and the people on the other side of the world? Yes, yes, and yes! Carrying the light of Christ in our hearts, God’s people are appointed by God to bring the light of Christ to all people. Reading on we see that even kings and military leaders will bow before the Lord. All on account of the Lord. And all because we who are chosen are faithful to our charge. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, we first ask that the light of Christ would burn brightly in our hearts. Burning brightly may your fire burn away the chaff and sin, readying us to step into the world’s darkness and pain. Use our light to open blind eyes and to soften hard hearts. Use our light to guide others to welcome the light of Christ into their hearts. Amen.


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Lord of All

Reading: Acts 10:34-43

Acts 10:36 – “This is the message of peace he sent to the Israelites by proclaiming the good news through Jesus Christ: He is Lord of all!”

As cultures and as individuals we are well-practiced at placing ourselves and others in categories, boxes, distinct groups, pecking orders… There are a variety of reasons that we tend to do this. It is easy. But easy is cheap. It discards our uniqueness. It makes us feel better about ourselves. But it is an artificial and temporary identity. It gives us places to fit in, to belong. “Fitting in” – it is shallow and limited. It is freeing. We don’t have to worry about, care for, or make space for “them.” This excludes and disrespects whole swaths of people and/or groups in one fell swoop.

In today’s Acts reading, Peter’s speech comes after Peter has been summoned by God to go to Cornelius’ home. This Roman centurion was about as far outside of any box that Peter thought was acceptable as one could get. Yet here Peter was, right where God wanted him to be. That’s the thing about the Holy Spirit – it will do the same with us if we hear, listen, and follow. When we go there, where the Spirit leads, we will come to truly know what Peter learned: God shows no partiality.

In his speech, Peter states that acceptance into God’s family comes through worshipping God and living a righteous life. Luke writes, “This is the message of peace he sent to the Israelites by proclaiming the good news through Jesus Christ: He is Lord of all!” To be this message of peace is to be a person who is open to include all people, who finds worth and value in all people, who seeks to find common ground with all people. This is the example set by the one who did good and healed, who died and rose again. This is the one who offers forgiveness of sins to all who believe in him as Lord and Savior. It is a wide-open invitation. The only qualifier, the only requirement, the only need is belief. Jesus can be Lord of all. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, in love you call all people to a saving faith. In grace you call us as we are: sinful, flawed, selfish. In mercy you show us who and what we can be for you when we walk faithfully and live righteously. With forgiveness, you restart our journey again and again. We thank you today for always being a God whose heart is bent on forming community and building relationships. Guide us, shape us, and form us to have your heart. Use us to share the goods news of Jesus Christ: he is Lord of all. Amen.


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Seekers and Searchers

Reading: Matthew 2:1-12

Matthew 2:11 – “They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling on their knees, they honored him.”

Today is Epiphany, the day we celebrate the visit of the magi or wise men. Epiphany falls twelve days after Christmas every year. Yes, it is the reason for the song about a partridge in a pear tree. The magi were scholars who came from the east. They saw a new star in the sky and after studying various texts, decided that the star’s arrival was connected to ancient Hebrew stories about a coming Messiah. This led them to go on a journey, seeking and searching for this newborn king. The star guided their way.

I often wonder what first led these wise men to leave home and, second, to continue the journey for two years. While likely religious, the magi certainly were not Jewish. While likely naturally curious, as most scholars are, something must have kept them going. Jesus obviously had not yet performed any miracles or offered any amazing teachings. Yet something about the prophecies and the new star and the star guiding their way drew the magi day after day closer and closer to Jesus. Finally arriving, “They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling on their knees, they honored him.” Once there, the magi knew who they had found.

The story of the magi and the celebration of Epiphany is significant for Christians because it is the first instance of Jesus reaching out to the Gentiles, those outside of Judaism. Something about the story and/or something about the light and/or something about Jesus the Messiah drew them to Christ. The same is true for people today. Mingled together in people’s hearts as curiosity, a deep longing, a sense of the divine, whispers of good news, these things continue to draw people towards Jesus. As ones charged with making disciples of all nations, may we notice the seekers and the searchers and may we invest in their journeys to Jesus Christ, Savior of the world.

Prayer: Lord God, like the magi, many today seek and search for Jesus Christ. Some do not know what they are searching for, but they know that something is incomplete in their hearts. Some sense what is missing, but they don’t know how to find or get to Jesus. Use us as a light and as the presence of Christ in the world, helping the seeking and the searching to find connection and relationship with you. Amen.


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Almighty and All-Powerful

Reading: John 1:10-18

John 1:14 – “The Word became flesh and made his home among us. We have seen his glory… full of grace and truth.”

Continuing in John 1 today, in verses 10 and 11, we find a reality that remains true today. Christ’s light is in the world. We see it in the little miracles and we feel it in the moments when the presence of the divine is tangible. All people, at points in their lives, see and sense the almighty and all-powerful God, yet many choose to ignore it or to reject it for what it is. Many consequently refuse to welcome Christ into their hearts.

Many other people do encounter the divine and they make the decision to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. For all who welcome Jesus into their hearts and lives, Christ “authorizes” them to become “children of God.” Being born anew, not of the flesh but of the Spirit, we personally experience what John described long ago as “made his home among them.” It was a present and physical reality in John’s day as “the Word became flesh.” Since Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Holy Spirit has come and continues to come to all believers, dwelling in and making his home in our hearts.

For John and others that lived at the time of Jesus, they received grace and truth as it was lived out in the person of Jesus. Just as Moses gave the Law long ago, Jesus laid down, by his example and teachings, the new law of love and grace and truth. Jesus fulfilled the Law, showing humanity the true heart of God. This example and way of being in the world revealed the glory of God to humankind, making God known in a more personal and intimate way. For this life and this example, we say, thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, sometimes it is hard to fathom why someone so almighty and all-powerful would choose to step away from heaven, to come to this broken world, to live amongst sinful and selfish people. Prophets had long come, reminding the people of your will and way. Exile and other hard experiences reminded the people of the price of ignoring and rejecting your will and way. Was the incarnation and making the ultimate sacrifice the only way to really show us what your almighty and all-powerful love looked like lived out to the full? Yes, it was. So we thank you. Amen.


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All This and More

Reading: John 1:1-9

John 1:9 – “The true light that shines on all people was coming into the world.”

Today and tomorrow we return to a passage that we just read a week ago. These words “fit” so well on Christmas Eve, a night filled with light and joy surrounding Jesus Christ coming into the world as a baby. In John’s gospel, though, we do not find prophesies and birth stories. Instead, John connects all the way back to the creation of the world. Starting on day 1 of creation, John calls Jesus the “Word.” In verses 1-4 we gain insight into the eternal, creative power found in Jesus Christ. All things came into being through the Word, including “the life that was the light for all people.”

Verses 5-9 develop the purpose of the light. We first read that the light shines into the darkness. This light will never be overcome by the darkness. The darkness of death and the grave could not even extinguish the light. The last verse reminds us, “The true light that shines on all people was coming into the world.” Here John the gospel writer is talking about Jesus’ birth. And more. This light of Christ is life-giving, revealing, growth-inducing, guiding, warming, comforting. Jesus is all this and more.

Tucked in this section are some words about another John. In Mark’s and Luke’s gospel, he is John the Baptist. In John’s gospel he is first John the Witness. John testifies about, witnesses to, and invites others to receive and believe in this light. In his own way, John was a lesser light that pointed others to the true light. I believe this is why we are reading John 1 again so soon after Christmas. It is a reminder that we, like John, are called to witness to the true light of the world – the light that shines on us, that dwells in us, that is all this and more. May we be witnesses to the true light, today and every day.

Prayer: Lord God, the light that we held in our hands on Christmas Eve, that light that reminded us that the true light has come into the world, we still hold that light in our hearts. Lord, may we unshutter the doors of our hearts, allowing the light of Christ to shine out from us, into the world. As the light continues to shine, draw others into your saving love. Amen.


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God’s Goodwill and Plan

Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14

Ephesians 1:7 – “We have been ransomed through his Son’s blood, and we have forgiveness for our failures based on his overflowing grace.”

Verses 3-6 speak of God choosing us. This choosing is rooted in God’s “goodwill and plan.” At the beginning of time as we know it, God created humanity in the image of the divine and appointed humankind as stewards of creation. A partnership, a relationship – this has always been God’s good plan for all of humanity. This intimate connection with God calls us to be “holy and blameless.” This calls requires us to surrender our life to Christ’s will and way so that we can become “adopted children,” becoming like Christ in every way that is humanly possible. At its simplest, this comes down to loving God and one another just as God first loved us.

Part way through verse 6 the focus shifts to grace and forgiveness. Because we are human, at times our flesh leads us away from our relationship with Jesus Christ and into temptation and sin. At all times, God is ready to redeem us. Verse 7 speaks of this truth: “We have been ransomed through his Son’s blood, and we have forgiveness for our failures based on his overflowing grace.” Ransomed – the atoning price for our sins has been paid. Forgiveness – our sins are no more. This has always been God’s design. At just the right time, God in the flesh made the sacrifice required to redeem all the world.

The last five verses shift to an eternal reality. At the end of this present age – “the climax of all time” – Christ will bring all things together in the new heaven and earth. This is our inheritance. It first comes through belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It is then sealed by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. The forgiveness and redemption founded on God’s love will one day lead us to our true and eternal home. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for your plan that seeks to include us all. Thank you for the wooing and pursuing that draws us into relationship with you. Thank you for the steadfast love and for the indwelling presence that strengthens and deepens our relationship with you. Thank you for the grace, overflowing and unending, that brings us back into right relationship again and again, redeeming us from ourselves, returning us to who you designed us to be. Thank you for your great love for us all. Amen.


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Our Brother, Jesus Christ

Reading: Hebrews 2:10-18

Hebrews 2:17 – “He has to be made like his brothers and sisters in every way.”

Today’s reading from Hebrews 2 speaks of how and why Jesus is our “great high priest.” The author begins by declaring that it was “appropriate” for Jesus to experience suffering. These experiences prepared him to be our “pioneer of salvation.” Suffering is a part of our lives. Because Jesus in the flesh experienced this too, we can be confident that Jesus in Spirit will be present to us during our times of suffering. This common experience is one way that we are brothers and sisters with Jesus.

In verse 11 the writer of Hebrews declares that both Jesus and all who seek to walk in his ways “all come from one source.” Using three quotes from the ancient scriptures, the author reminds the Hebrews and us that we are all born of the divine, that we are all made in the image of God. This is the second way that we are brothers and sisters with Christ.

Our brother, in order to set us free from the power of death, sacrificed himself so that we too could be resurrected to new life. This death was for our benefit. Without fear of death we didn’t have to chase after the things of this world. Freed from this we can pursue the things of God instead. This freedom allows us to focus on joyful and complete obedience to the will and way of God.

In verse 17 we read, “He has to be made like his brothers and sisters in every way.” Jesus chose to spend time up close and personal with humanity. His time with us fallible and imperfect creatures led to two things. First, it is what led Jesus to die for us too. He paid the atoning price for our sins, freeing us from the power that sin can hold over our lives. Second, it is what allows Jesus to be our “merciful and faithful high priest.” Being made like us, experiencing the temptation and suffering that we experience, it is what empowers Christ to intercede for us before God. And it is what draws our brother to us during our difficult times in this life. For the freedom from sin and death, for the presence and strength in times of need, we say, “Thank you, Jesus!”

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for taking on flesh to better understand, to better connect, to better be our advocate before God in heaven. You know our joys and sorrows, our griefs and elations, our sufferings and our victories. You were made like us so that we could become more like you. Thank you. Amen.


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Christ with Us

Reading: Isaiah 63:7-9

Isaiah 63:7 and 8 – “God treated them compassionately and with deep affection… God became their savior.”

On this Christmas day we turn to Isaiah 63. On a day when we open gifts and enjoy time with family, the opening verses to this “prayer of yearning” draw us to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The prayer begins by recounting past gifts from God: “the Lord’s faithful acts… all the Lord did for us.” We too can remember God’s faithful acts in our lives. This remembering causes gratitude to well up in our hearts and souls. It deepens our connection to and faith in God.

In the middle of today’s passage we read, “God treated them compassionately and with deep affection… God became their savior.” When God has brought Israel home from exile in Babylon, this was a physical return to the Promised Land. The compassion and affection of God then worked for a spiritual return. In love, God became their savior. Today we celebrate the day that God became the whole world’s savior, our Savior. Again moved by love, God entered this broken world, taking on flesh. And after setting for us the example of love, our Emmanuel promised the gift of the Spirit, continuing to be God with us, dwelling in our hearts. This gift can be received by all who call on Jesus as Lord and Savior.

The presence of the Holy Spirit is a gift. Because of this gift of presence in our hearts, God saves us from the inside out. When we are drawn to the ways of the world, the Spirit draws us back to the way of Christ. When we doubt or fear or wander, the Spirit draws us back into relationship, reminding us that we are loved, are worthy, are forgiven. As we open gifts today and celebrate time with family, we pause now and thank God for the gift of the Spirit, Christ with us. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for coming to us again and again. Thank you for the compassion and love that led you to set aside heaven to be with your creation. Thank you for teaching us what love lived out every day looked and felt like. Thank you for the sacrifice that allows us to return to your presence again and again. And thank you for the gift of your presence, our constant reminder of your great compassion and unconditional love for each of us. Amen.


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Light and Love

Reading: John 1:1-14

John 1:5 – “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light.”

On Christmas Eve day we turn to John 1. While not a birth story in the sense of Matthew 1:18-25 or Luke 2:1-20, our reading today is very much a “birth” story – the birth of our world, the birth of light, the birth of welcome and belief, the birth of God in the flesh, the birth of glory, “full of grace and truth.” Throughout the passage, John uses the image of light again and again. This light is Jesus Christ, God in the flesh.

Each time I read and study and meditate on this passage, something new is learned, applied, realized. This is often the case when we return to a passage. God’s word is alive and active. It meets us where we are at and takes us where we need to go each time we engage a passage. Today as I read and reread these verses, this one stood out: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light.” My first thought centered on the idea that the light enters the darkness, pushing it away, so to speak. My second thought focused on the idea that light goes as far as its power allows it to go. A small light like a candle will light up a small space. A big light like our sun will light up whole worlds. The light of Christ can make the sun seem like a candle. The light of Christ will shine everywhere and forever, if we allow it to do so.

In today’s Disciplines devotional, Rev. Dr. Dottie Escobar-Frank shared these words: “The true light shines into our hidden spaces, our dirty places, our wounded spots, and illuminates them so that healing and wholesome can be ours.” Christ’s light will shine into our souls, if we allow it in. Christ’s love will make us whole again, if we allow it in. May we say again and again, ‘Come, Lord Jesus, come.’ May it be so. Shine your light and love deep into our hearts and lives.

Prayer: Lord God, so much of who we are desires to walk always with you. This is who you created us to be. The Spirit always leads and guided us in this desire. But the darkness is ever there, too, ready to seep back in. So, Lord, we ask you to fill us with your light and love. Filled, the darkness is held at bay. Thank you, God. Amen.