pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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Imperishable

Reading: 1st Corinthians 15: 35-38 and 42-50

Verse 42: “The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable”.

In chapter 15 Paul has been speaking of resurrection. He now turns to a question we often ponder and discuss: what will we be like in heaven? The same line of questioning resonates today as people wonder if we will have bodies or not, if we will eat or not, and so forth. Scripture tells us that we will be raised, that a new heaven and earth are coming, that all things will be made new, that Christ will reign, and that we will dwell in His light and love.

In reality Paul does not exactly answer the question today either. He begins by comparing our bodies now to seeds. A seed is placed in the ground and it must die to be transformed into something new, something living. Our physical bodies, this shell that we inhabit, will be shed and it will remain in the earth. But what is in us – our soul, our spirit, our essence – will rise to new life. We do not know what we will look like in eternity or even if we will look anything like we know now in our earthly minds. Paul writes, “The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable”. Just as Jesus was raised and sits at the right hand of God, so too will all who know Jesus as Lord and Savior. We too will be raised and we will surround the throne, offering our worship and praise and adoration.

Paul goes on to remind us that we will be as Jesus is. In verse 48 he writes, “as the man from heaven so also are those who are of heaven”. Paul goes on to tell us that we will be in the image of Christ in heaven just as we have lived in His image as a follower here on earth.

We may not know what heaven will look like or what we will be like. But we do know that we will be imperishable and we will dwell in Jesus’ presence. Heaven will be a beautiful expression of joy and love and peace that will last forever. What a glorious day it will be when we enter into our eternal rest!

Prayer: Lord, how and what and who we will be does not matter. All that matters is that it will be with you. Help me to walk each day as a faithful servant of Christ. Lead and guide me to know Him more and more. Amen.


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Personal Encounter

Reading: 1 Corinthians 15: 12-20

Verse 17: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sin”.

As it was in Jesus’ day and in the days of the early church, so it is today: many people think that Jesus was just a good moral teacher. In the church in Corinth some were questioning the whole gospel that was first preached to them and that led many of them to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Paul wonders how some that first believed can question resurrection – this part of what they first believed.

In verse 17 Paul focuses in on the consequences of questioning this fact that has been witnessed to by so many people, writing, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sin”. Belief in the resurrection is an essential component of our faith. If we do not believe that Jesus conquered death and rose from the grave, we do not believe that we can also be raised to life eternal. If we do not believe that the cross was the place that Jesus took upon Himself the sins if the world and there defeated the power of sin, then we are ever living in our sins.

All of this, if course, can also be traced back to the words of the prophets in the Old Testament. From His virgin birth to His ministry beginnings to the message He proclaimed to His death and resurrection – all of Jesus’ life – is laid out in prophecy as well. Yet for Paul what really sealed his belief in Jesus as Messiah was his own personal encounter with Jesus Christ. He himself was changed from Saul the chief persecutor of the church to Paul the lead apostle of the church. His personal encounter shifted Paul onto a totally new path. Paul was born again and went out to share the good news of the living Christ with all he met, everywhere he went.

We too can read the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament writings as well. We too can see the connections between prophecy and what came to be. But our faith became “real” for us the same way it did for Paul – when we had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. People can read all the books in the world about Christianity – including the Bible – and still only have head knowledge. Jesus becomes real when we know Him in our heart.

On this Sabbath day, may we take some time and consider our own story of faith. May we think on how we can fashion that into a story that we can share with others. In doing so, we will be able to share the story of what Jesus has done in our lives so that others can see examples of what He can do in their lives. In doing so, we invite others to have a personal encounter with our resurrected and risen Lord, Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, this day may I again consider anew my personal encounter with you. Help me to articulate it to others this week. Amen.


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Resurrection

Reading: 1st Corinthians 15: 12-20

Verse 20: “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead”.

As chapter 15 opens, Paul reminds the people of the church in Corinth of the basic truths of their faith. Paul reminds them that Christ died for our sins, was raised on the third day, and then appeared to many, many people, including Paul himself. All of these appearances offer proof that Jesus was indeed resurrected. Paul closes the opening section by saying, “This is what we preached and this is what you believed”. This sets the context for today’s reading.

There are now some in Corinth who are questioning the facts of the resurrection. To those with Jewish roots the resurrection is an end-times occurrence. To those coming in new to the faith, the idea of being raised from the dead is a struggle. People today struggle with this idea. In verses 12-19 Paul lays out why belief in the resurrection is necessary – through Jesus’ resurrection we too find hope for life eternal. In verse 20 he concludes with a reiteration of this fact that was made real for him in his own first hand encounter with the risen Lord, writing, “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead”. Christ resurrected and eternal is simply one of the bedrock truths of our faith.

This truth affects our eternity as well as our earthly lives. Knowing that we have a future filled with hope is one thing that helps us in the struggles and trials that we face in our earthly bodies. It is the “something more” that can pull us through. In the darkest of valleys it is the promise that one day we will be reunited. As people of faith, we know that our last breath here is not “the end”. In the vast scheme of things, our earthly life is but a “mist”. For the gift of hope that we find in our resurrection faith, today I say thanks be to God.

Prayer: Savior, I rejoice in knowing that you not only lived to give me an example of how to love, but that you died and rose to show me the way to life eternal. Thank you Jesus! Amen.


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The Resurrection

Reading: 1st Corinthians 15: 1-11

Verse 1: “I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you… on which you have taken your stand”.

In today’s passage, Paul is reminding the church in Corinth of the core beliefs of their faith. His opening line is spoken to us as well. In verse 1 Paul writes, “I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you… on which you have taken your stand”. Paul is calling them and us to remember our foundation, the rock upon which we stand in faith: Jesus Christ. Paul goes on to share just what these facts are: Christ died for our sins, was buried, rose on the third day, and appeared to many people, including Paul himself. These facts form the core of our Christian faith.

The resurrection of Jesus is something that we as the church remember often. In the creeds of the church we recite words that remind us of these facts. In the sacrament of Holy Communion we remember that Jesus died for us. We remember this by using the words “the body that was broken” and “the blood that was shed”. In the sacrament of baptism we remember God’s mighty acts and include Jesus as one of these. As a community of faith, the resurrection is a fact that we celebrate and remember often.

To accept that Jesus came and lived, that He died and rose again, that Jesus is once again eternal in the heavens, is also a confession that we make personally. When we confess Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are processing that Jesus is not only the Lord of our life, but is also the Lord over sin and death. As Savior, Jesus is the One who washes away our sins, freeing us from our guilt and shame. As Savior, Jesus is our salvation, making us new creations with an eternal home in heaven.

When we profess Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are made one in the body of Christ. Faith is not meant to be lived out alone. Yes, we do fight battles within once in a while and, yes, there is a time when we read this our Bibles, pray… on our own. But our faith is lived out together, giving and receiving support and encouragement and accountability to and from our brothers and sisters in Christ.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is also hope for the lost and the broken. It is a message that Jesus Himself commissioned all of His followers to share with all nations and with all people. Today, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart and the actions of my hands and feet proclaim to all that Jesus is Lord!

Prayer: God of all eternity, thank you for coming and dwelling among us, for living as one of us. In this we find our example of how to love you and of how to love one another. Thank you even more for the gift you gave on the cross and the power over sin and death that you demonstrated there. In this you gave us hope and a way to live free of these chains. Thank you God! Amen.


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News to Share

Reading: 1st John 1:1 to 2:2

Verse 2:2 – “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins; and not only for our sins but also for the sins of the whole world”.

1st John opens with some excitement in the writing. In his words we can still sense the excitement related to the recent resurrection. John bases his authority to proclaim the gifts of eternal life and salvation from sins on his firsthand experience hearing, seeing, and touching Jesus. The opening section concludes with, “We write this to make our joy complete”. John receives joy from sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.

Coming off Easter Sunday we too should be full of good news to share with those in our world. Yesterday we joyously celebrated the risen Lord. Will we go out into the world sharing the joy? Will you?

John goes on in the remainder of 1st John 1 to encourage us to walk in the light. He writes, “God is light; in Him there is no darkness”. We must walk in the light to remain connected to God. John writes of the benefits of this choice. First, we have fellowship with one another. Second, we experience the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus. For our part, we must confess and seek to repent of our sins. John also acknowledges the reality of sin in our lives. He reminds us that we do walk in darkness, in our sin, at times. John also warns us not to claim that we do not sin because then we “make Him out to be a list”. Don’t want to do that!

In 1st John 2, John goes on the address when we sin. He reminds us of two important details in our battle with sin. First, Jesus speaks to God on our behalf. He stands between God and our sins. Second, Jesus is the atoning sacrifice. He has already paid the price for our sins and, in fact, has paid the price for the sins of the whole world.

All of this is indeed good news worthy of sharing. There are none more in need of hearing this news than our broken and hurting brothers and sisters who are living lost lives. If we do not share the stories of the power of Jesus Christ in our lives, how can they come to know the healing and redeeming power of Jesus Christ in their lives? Yesterday we were reminded that we are Easter people, that we are resurrection people. The good news is always good. It is always worthy of sharing. May we each live our love of Jesus out loud each and every day, helping others to walk in the light of God’s love. Lord, give us the strength and courage so that it may be so. Amen.


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He Calls

Reading: John 20: 1-18

Verse Eighteen: “Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!'”

In John’s gospel first Mary Magdalene and then Peter and John see the empty tomb. John records that he “saw and believed”. But for Mary and Peter and most others, coming to understand the resurrection is just beginning. They are looking for Jesus to return and resurrection is not the same as return. It is not like they experienced with Lazarus and others that Jesus brought back to life. Jesus will no longer have human breath in Him. The breath that now comes from Jesus is the Holy Spirit.

Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb to properly care for Jesus’ body. She was there Friday night when Joseph and Nicodemus temporarily laid the body in the tomb. She then observed the Sabbath. And today she returns to the tomb focused on offering one last loving act to her Lord. It is from this perspective that she says “they have taken the Lord” several times. Even the appearance of two angels in the tomb does not dislodge Mary from the pursuit of why she came to the tomb.

“Thinking He was the gardener”, she asks the same thing: where is Jesus? And, in a word, it all changes for her. Jesus simply says, “Mary”! Through her grief and tears and confusion, His voice cuts straight to her heart. Instantly she knows this is her beloved Jesus. She cries out “Rabboni”, her personal name for Him. Jesus then tells her the good news: “I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God”. Jesus is risen! Jesus is alive forevermore!

Mary goes to the disciples and shares some incredible news: “I have seen the Lord”! Mary knew in her heart right away that Jesus is risen and she shares this with the disciples. She recognized Him right when He called her name. Jesus calls our names too. In rising, Jesus defeated the power of sin and death. He calls your name, inviting you to live a life in Him that is free from the bonds of sin and death. He calls us each by name. May we ever walk in Jesus’ light and love.

He is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!


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Eyes of Love

Reading: Mark 15: 21-40

Verses 37-38: “With a loud cry, Jesus breathed His last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom”.

In Mark’s gospel we get a pretty abbreviated telling of the crucifixion and events surrounding it. It goes something like this: man carries cross, Jesus crucified, divided clothes, people mocked Him, got dark, Jesus cried out then died, curtain torn, some women watched. Mark’s story does have a few more words and details, but not a whole lot more.

It is odd to read through the crucifixion story a week before it actually happens. On Good Friday we will wrestle with it a whole lot more. Yet it is good to think of this day as we prepare to celebrate Palm Sunday this weekend. The children will parade around with palm branches waving, full of excitement, just like the first Palm Sunday crowd. The contrast with these two events is stark and sobering.

When we step back into our own lives, for most folks life is good. We have our routines and the little things that bring us joy. Then one day suffering comes our way. We cling to God and we get through it. After a time, we look back upon said event and we see it differently. We see how God loved and cared for us in the trial. We see what was pain with eyes of love and gratitude.

I think Jesus saw the cross this way – with eyes of love. He knew why He had come. It was to be this sacrifice. He also knew that resurrection was coming. He saw the other side of the suffering so He viewed this difficult and painful experience with eyes of love. “With a loud cry, Jesus breathed His last”. A simple end. Across town, “The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom”. The thing that kept people separated from the Holy of Holies, where they thought God dwelled, was torn wide open. All will now be able to enter God’s presence directly and personally. I suppose that was another reason that Jesus saw this event with eyes of love too.

As we celebrate Palm Sunday this weekend, may we also keep an eye on both the crucifixion and the resurrection. As we do so, we see all of the last days of Jesus with eyes of love. May it be so.


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All in All

Reading: Philippians 3: 10-14

Verse 12: I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

There is great power in today’s passage.  There is great hope.  There is great promise.  There is great encouragement.  Pail is fully rooted in Christ and in His love.  He has given his all for the gospel and is willing to suffer and even give his life if that will advance the gospel and bring glory to God.  Paul opens today with a clarion call for all believers: “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection”.  Like Paul, we also want to know these two things.  We want to know Christ for this earthly life so that we can love and serve others as Jesus did.  We want to know the power of His resurrection for this life and the life to come.  In this life, the power of Jesus’ resurrection brings us victory over sin.  Jesus’ resurrection power defeats the guilt and shame and chains of sin so that we can be made holy and pure in this life.  It is a power we call on again and again.  Jesus’ resurrection power also looks to the future – His resurrection power enables us to defeat death and to live eternally with Jesus in heaven.

Knowing all of this is what allowed Paul to be sold out for Jesus and the gospel.  It is what allows us to have the faith and the courage to live as sold out, all in Christians.  If we believe in the power of Jesus Christ and His resurrection, we too can live as Paul did: willing to do anything and willing to face anything to advance the kingdom here on earth.  This is what Paul is talking about when he writes, “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me”.  Christ took hold of Paul to give him a hope, a love, a promise, a future.  Paul did not take hold of all this and sit on it to keep ut for himself.  He gave his all and eventually his life so others would gain it too.

Paul concludes today with these words: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God had called me heavenward in Christ Jesus”.  Hear these words – straining ahead, pressing on, the prize, called, in Christ Jesus.  Paul’s life reflected the fact that Jesus Christ was his all in all.  May our lives and faith reflect this as well, all for God’s glory and the building of His kingdom here on earth.


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All

Reading: 1 Peter 3: 18-22

Verse 18: Christ died for sins, once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.

During His time on earth, Jesus ministered to all who came or called out to Him in faith.  To all who demonstrated faith in Him as the Messiah, Jesus offered healing and restoration.  For some it was physical, for some it was emotional, and for some it was spiritual.  Jesus me all who came to Him in faith wherever they were at and gave of Himself all that He could.  It’s just who Jesus was and is today.  “Christ died for sins, once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God”.  This verse speaks of the Jesus we know throughout the Gospels – the One who simply came to love us as His own.  Jesus continues to love us each day.

Although His body was killed, He was “made alive by the Spirit”.  The Spirit is for us the essence of Jesus.  In life, Jesus set an example for us to follow.  We read His words and the stories about him in the Bible and we are called to go forth to live a life that follows Jesus.  We too are to offer healing and restoration to a broken world.  Ultimately that comes through a personal relationship with Jesus.  The Spirit leads and guides us in bringing others to Jesus.  The nudges, the whispers, the shoves – these are all Jesus saying, “Go – do what I did.  Love one another”.  It is through this that others will meet Jesus themselves.

As the Spirit leads us out into the world, we all go with the same mission: to make disciples of Jesus Christ.  As we share Jesus with the world, the world will come to know Him.  The waters of baptism will wash over new believers to welcome them into the family of God.  The waters of baptism begin our journey into Jesus and eventually all who believe in Him as Lord and Savior will be “saved by the resurrection of Jesus Christ”.

We are all the unrighteous.  Jesus died for all.  The only one who was pure and without sin took on sin for our sake.  He did it for all so that all can one day be saved.  This is good news indeed.  May we go out and share this good news today so that others may begin their journey with Jesus too.


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Resurrection Faith

Reading: Acts 2: 29-32

Verse 32: God has raised Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.

God had promised David that one from his line would rule forever.  In the world where kings come and go, where power struggles are a real threat, this promise required a great deal of faith to believe.  Even in David’s reign, there were several who tried to sieze power from him.  So to hold onto this promise too a great deal of faith.  David had such a faith.  He held onto his absolute trust in God.  Forever is a long time, but there was an unshakable trust that David had in God.

For Peter, his faith had been shaken.  He has just been restored from the denial of knowing Christ.  He has been anointed the “Rock” upon which the church will be built.  But Peter has had those days when doubt and fear has crept in, just as David had and just as we do.  No human being is immune to doubt and fear and anxiety and worry.  For Peter, in those days after Jesus died, there must have been huge doubts.  But the resurrection came and his doubts about Christ were washed away.  But after the resurrection, there must have been great fear… – he had denied the Lord three times.  And Jesus restores him from this too.  Peter was beginning to see through new eyes.  He was beginning to see with eyes full of hope and faith.  He realized that God had been at work all along.  This too is the faith that David lived within.  It is the faith we are called to live in too.

Just as David had seen the eternity of the Messiah, Peter now understood God’s will for all of creation: forgiveness of sin and life eternal.  These are God’s gifts​.  Through the cross, Jesus defeated the power of sin.  Through the grave, Jesus defeated the power of death.  God’s will is to offer these gifts to all who call on Christ as Lord and Savior.  Once we do this and place our hope and trust in Him, we too will understand what Peter knew.  Christ came to save the world and will come again to restore all of creation.  It is God’s gift to you and to me, to all of creation.  May we, like David and Peter, claim this gift, this inheritance, and begin to live out our resurrection faith each day.  Verse 32 reads, “God has raised Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact”.  May we live as witnesses today!