Journey to the Cross: Day 35

Ever talked to a friend of yours who didn't believe Jesus was God, but just a good moral teacher? It's easy to just try and find common ground with friends who believe that and agree that he was a good moral teacher (sure we believe that he was more than that, but why be pushy).

The problem is that Jesus can't be simply a moral teacher if he isn't God. Instead he'd have to be a conman. Read this.

Journey to the Cross: Day 34

In one of his most beloved books for children, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, C.S. Lewis write about one character in particular who undergoes transformation unlike any other in the story.

Eustace, a rather spoiled and selfish child, is cousin to the main characters Lucy and Edmond. On their journey across the ocean with a crew of mythical people and creatures, the ship reaches a island where they dock and stay for a few days before continuing their voyage. Eustace, inflamed that he doesn't get his way on the trip, decides to leave the crew and explore the island. Soon into his exploration, he looses his way within the foggy woods and becomes bewildered.

He finds a dragons cave and climbs in, only to find, not a dragon, but gold and treasure! Greedily, he hoards it for himself. Sitting upon the mountain of treasure, he falls fast asleep, worn out from his exploration. He, then, wakes up later to find himself changed magically by his greedy heart into a dragon.

Perplexed and doomed to live the rest of his life alienated on an island as a dragon, all hope for Eustace seems lost...until he meets Aslan, a mysterious lion who possesses divine-like authority in every story of the Chronicles of Narnia.

Eustace the dragon is terribly afraid of the lion, though he obeys him when the lion tells him to undress himself from his skin. As he scratches off his scales and skin, he is crushed to find layers of skin and scales underneath. He cannot change who he is on his own. Later Eustace recalled:


"Then the lion said --but I don't know if it spoke-- You will have to let me undress you. I was afraid of his claws, I can tell you, but I was pretty nearly desperate now. So I just lay flat down and my back to let him do it.

"The very first tare he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt."


...And that's what did it for Eustace. He became a boy again and who he was on the inside was transformed.

In Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, the character Aslan is symbolic of the Judeo-Christian God. In each of our personal lives, we have or we will come to realize that we can't save ourselves from our own sin. We can change who we are. It takes God the Father, through the work of his Son and ministry of the Holy Spirit, to tare away the dragon skin of our hearts and give us new life. It may hurt to reveal all of who you are to God, but until you do, you're never free.

Journey to the Cross: Day 33

High School Ministries at Wooster Grace just finished a month long emphasis in taking ACTION by healing the hurts of other in the name of Jesus. In Nick's message today, he discussed how Christians must have compassion on people in our world who are forgotten. Pointing to scripture, he took us to James 1:27 which says:

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Is it funny to think of God accepting a type of our religion? What does the word "religion" mean? The word means to perform worship and ceremony to God. It's the outward expression of someone's journey to the cross. God is pleased when we live out our faith and show what we believe by taking ACTION.

High School Ministries committed today to have religion that God accepts by looking after orphans. We're sponsering one orphan from our orphanage in Cambodia. We showed this video at the end of the service. It has footage from Wooster Grace's orphanage with its students and director. Enjoy!


Asia's Hope from Wooster Grace Students on Vimeo.

Journey to the Cross: Day 32

While World War II and the rise of Nazi Germany brought about some of the worst terrors and tradegy in global history, it also made way for some men and women to "own" their faith. In the midst of the hard times, some Christians got stronger in what they knew about and did for Christ.

One such man was Dietrich Bonhoeffer. A well known theologian of the 20th century, Bonhoeffer devoted his life to uniting the church and taking action in the name of Jesus Christ. In addition to his ministry in and with the local church, he also joined an secret underground team who's mission was to assasinate Adolf Hitler.

Bonhoeffer has been quoted saying "When Christ calls a man, he bids him to come and die."


How do you respond to that quote? Has Christ called you to follow him? If so, have you died yet? Think hard about that questions. We say this because as Christians in modern times, we sometimes feel entitled to many things that Christ might be calling us to die to. Things like:

- A Retirement package.
- Comfort in life.
- Having the latest technology (cell phone, computer, whatever).
- Privacy.
- Being married and having a family.
- Going to College.

These things aren't bad, but their not the ultimate goal in life. The soul purpose and meaning of life is to follow Jesus. Are you willing to leave behind something if it means following Jesus more closely?

What can you die to (or let go of) this week that you normally feel entitled to have? How could letting go of it help you follow Jesus more closely?

If anyone was a man of his word, it was Bonhoeffer. He followed Jesus all the way to his death. Arrested in April of 1943, he was led to the gallows just two years later. As he passed his inmates as he was escorted out, he told them, "This is the end, but for me it is the beginning of life."

Resources used: Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Life Together (San Francisco: Harper Collins Pulbishers, 1954), pp. 7-13.

Journey to the Cross: Day 31

Check out this site. It's about well known people who are on the journey to the cross. These are their stories.

Journey to the Cross: Day 30

If you've read through the gospel books of the New Testament, you've read about how Jesus refered to himself as the "Son of Man." For instance, Matthew 17:22 says "When they came together in Galilee, he [Jesus] said to them, 'The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.'"

Often times, we can certainly see how Jesus was a man, while seeing him as God can be a lot harder. The verses in scripture when he calls himself the Son of Man don't seem to help either. It makes you think, So, Jesus, are you just a man?

Mark Strauss, professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary, shows the beauty of that title and why Jesus would call himself that if He was fully God. Take a Bible out and underline this verse:

"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of haeaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence." ~ Daniel 7:13

Wow, what a picture! When Jesus calls himself the Son of Man, he's got this Old Testament verse in mind. He obviously knew it because the Old Testament was more memorized and internalized by the Jewish nation than by any other group of people. He, of course, was acknowledging his humanity by the very conotations that came with that title, but at the same time, he also was referring to the autority and divinity that talked about in Daniel 7:13. And isn't that picture so true of who we believe Jesus is? The next verse in Daniel goes on to say:

"He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed."

Now that's God! That passage was written a long time ago. If you fast forward from when that verse was penned up to the life of Jesus, you'll hear Jesus say stuff like this:

"But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." ~ Matthew 26:64.

Now that's God: Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Man.

Journey to the Cross: Day 29

Wanna be more like Jesus? Read this and find out how you can today.

Journey to the Cross: Day 28

Yesterday, we reflected on how sin is an important element of the gospel message. Sin was the reason why Jesus chose to die and redeem us. Today, we're looking at how Christ's perfect righteousness was also completely necessary for the gospel to mean anything. Essentially, he had to trade spaces with us so that we might have His righteousness in us. Read this article from Ed Young, pastor of Fellowship Church in Dallas, Texas, about the righteousness of Christ in our lives.

Journey to the Cross: Day 27

Scripture says "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). One of the basic realities about life is that everyone is sinful. Everyone messed up and has offended God. And if we were to deny our sin, we wouldn't have the gospel, because that's an essential reason why Jesus had to come and die. We must not forget about our sin.

Ironically enough, Satan, which John 8:44 references as the "father of lies," doesn't want you to forget that either. Satan is an enemy of God and of anyone who follows Jesus Christ. By no means is he as powerful or more powerful than God, but he's still tricky in his schemes against people. One of his greatest tricks is to get people to feel hopeless in their sin. If he can't get people to shrugg off their sin (Romans 1:25), Satan will get people to sink into dispair of what they've done against God.

Shane Barnard and Shane Everett, two recording artists who are commonly referred to as "Shane and Shane," recently wrote a song about the scheme of Satan in our life. Watch this video and listen to their song. The words are provided for you below if you want to select and print them for your private devotion time.




Embracing Accusation

The father of lies -
Coming to steal,
Kill and destroy
All my hopes of being good enough
- I hear him saying:
"Cursed are the ones
Who can't abide."

He's right.
Alleluia he's right!
The devil is preaching
The song of the redeemed,
That I am cursed and gone astray.
I cannot gain salvation.
Embracing accusation.

Could the father of lies
Be telling the truth
Of God to me tonight?
If the penalty of sin is death
Then death is mine
I hear him saying:
"Cursed are the ones
Who can't abide."

He's right.
Alleluia, he's right!

Oh the devil's singing over me
An age old song
That I am cursed and gone astray
Singing the first verse so conveniently
He's forgotten the refrain:

"Jesus saves!"

Journey to the Cross: Day 26

History lesson time! Have you heard of a guy named George Frideric Handel? Handel was an English Baroque composer from Germany in the late 17th and early 18th century who is famous for the music pieces he wrote.

In the summer of 1741, Handel composed what many consider his finest work entitled The Messiah.

The Messiah is a 2+ hour orchestoral and choral presentation of Jesus' life. Every word of the oritorio comes from scripture. The beginning part uses words from well known prophetic passages of the Old Testament. It continues through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and ending with a slam-bang finish about the triumphant return of Jesus in the end of days.

Such an intense and intricate piece of music was bound to have taken Handel many years to write. Not so! He wrote it at a break-neck speed of 24 days! Barely leaving his study or even eating for three weeks, Handel bent over his manuscripts to craft the story of Jesus through music. All in all, Handel completed 240 pages of manuscript during that time. Friends who came to see him while he composed usually found him overcome with emotion and sobbing as he traced the journey of Jesus all the way to the cross.

Handel journeyed to the cross. Historians said that he wrote while he was consummed with depression. Out of the depth of his heart, he connected with Jesus.

Psalm 147:3 says, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." What a beautiful irony it is that Jesus had to first allow himself to be wounded so that he might bind up the wounds of Handel...and that he might bind up your wounds, too.

Journey to the Cross: Day 25

Isaiah 53:7 says, "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth."

If you read of Jesus' trial in the gospel books of the Bible, you'll see Him stay silent. He didn't demand his rights. He simply submitted to his execution. He knew their was a greater purpose than his personal freedom. He understood that all that was about to take place was for God's glory.

I'm sure the sting of people's insults got to Jesus. I'm sure that every blow that he received he felt personally.

What about you? Have you been stung by people's insults? Have you stood by while people reject you? Have you been beaten?

Think on Jesus. He endured it first. He knows the pain. Why don't you thank Him today for enduring the blows and insults for you.

Journey to the Cross: Day 24

We've come to the end of our week and our final day at looking at Jesus through the eyes of His disciple Peter. First, we saw how Peter was called by Jesus. Then we saw yesterday how Peter failed Jesus the night before Christ died.

Fast forward a little bit in the story of Peter. After Jesus died and rose again, he spent a good 40 days on earth before he ascended back to heaven. One of those days included a personal moment with Peter where Jesus brought renewal to his life and calling. It's in John 21. Read all of chapter 21 (just 25 verses).

Now, listen to this amazing podcast of Dr. Joe Stowell, current president of Cornerstone University and former president of Moody Bible Institute. He tells the story of Peter during these last moments with his savior.

Give yourself a half hour to listen to it and take notes. It's well worth it.

The Calling of Peter from Wooster Grace Students on Vimeo.

Journey to the Cross: Day 23

Everyone has personal failures. So did Peter. Visit this blog to read about Peter biggest known failure.

Journey to the Cross: Day 22

Today, we're revisiting our look into Peter's life and the way that he saw Jesus. Yesterday, we read Luke 5:1-11 and saw how Peter's life was changed when he witnessed the power and authority of Jesus Christ while out in the fishing boat.

Jesus responds to Peter's shock and amazement of who He is by choosing him to be his disciple. He says, "Don't be afriad; from now on you will catch men."

Jesus was unique in how he chose followers. All other rabbis, or distinguished religious teachers, of Jesus' days had disciples and followers who, more or less, "applied" to be the teacher's follower. Jesus instead pursued ordinary (sometimes uneducated) men who had poor-men's trade skills.

Jesus still pursues ordinary people today to be his followers. You are on of those people.

Watch this video from Ray Vanderlaan, founder of That They May Know Ministries. This clip is from his teaching DVD "In the Dust of the Rabbi."


Jesus Chose You from Wooster Grace Students on Vimeo.

Journey to the Cross: Day 21

Have you ever realized that you can sometimes know what a person is like by the friends he has? This week, we’re going to know Jesus through one of his friends, the apostle Peter. Seeing the Son of God through the eyes of Peter might help us love God even more. Let’s start with one of Peter’s first “life changing” moments with Jesus: the time when Jesus called him to leave his life trade of fishing to follow Him as his disciple.

Read Luke 5:1-11.

We challenge you to read it again, but before you do, commit this time to use your imagination. Here are some ideas and things to think about:

• Put yourself in the scene. Pretend this is a movie. Who is there? What sounds do you hear? What do you smell? What are your visual impressions?
  
• The Lake of Gennesaret in the story is another name for the Lake of Galilee, a harp-shaped lake 13 miles long and 6-7 miles across, circled by gently rolling hills.
  
• Fact: Open water is a natural amplifier for sound.


• Fact: Night is often the best time for fishing and shallow areas are the best places.


• If someone who didn’t possess your skills instructed YOU on your job, how would you feel?


• Based on His shock and surprise in verse 8, what emotions do you think are at conflict within Peter while he’s in the boat?


• Why do you think Peter says he is a sinful man?
  
• If you’re a hands on person, listen to this sound clip at the bottom of this post while your read (you might have to adjust the volume).

Okay, now read Luke 5:1-11 again.

Is the Jesus Peter sees in this passage the same Jesus you see in your life? If not, why? If Jesus called Peter to catch people for God rather than fish, what has Jesus called you to do with your life – for the next 8 hours; for the next week; for the next month; for the next year?

Journey to the Cross: Day 20

What Jesus Did? from Wooster Grace Students on Vimeo.

Journey to the Cross: Day 19

Today, countless options are avaible for how you can live your life. Our society can be described as "pluralistic," meaning that there are many different worldviews and religious beliefs that can be valid for you. No matter what you choose to believe, it can be true...for you.

Now, while this idea is chaotic (for how can two truths that contradict both be true?), pluralism offers the Christian one ironic gift: People will actually be willing to listen to what you think is true (even if they disagree. Again, pluralism). Think about it - you can talk about Jesus freely and people, who don't know Jesus, more than ever before in our life time will listen to what you say.

While we aren't promoting pluralism (for truth is absolute), we are saying to talk about why you follow Jesus if people are willing to hear what you say.

So HOW do you do that anyway?

Bill Hybels wrote about one way he tells people why he believes Jesus is the only way. It only takes, at most, a minute or two. He states:

"This is the most simple and succinct tool I know for telling others about Christ...Since this illustration is verbal, without need for any props or visual aids, it's a good one to use in ordinary conversation, including talks on the telephone."

[Below he relates a past conversation he had]

"'Well, first you've got to realize the difference between religion and Christianity,' I started. 'Religion is spelled 'D-O,' because it consists of things people do to try to somehow gain God's forgiveness and favor.

"'But the problem is that you never know when you've done enough. It's like being a salesman who knows he must meet a quota but never being told what it is. You can never be sure that you've actually done enough. Worse yet, the Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 that we never can do enough. We'll always fall short of God's perfect standard.

"'But thankfully,' I went on, 'Christianity is spelled differently. It's spelled 'D-O-N-E,' which means that what we could never do for ourselves, Christ has already done for us. He lived the perfect life we could never live, and He willingly died on the cross to pay the penalty we owed for the wrongs we've done.

"'To become a real Christian is to humbly receive God's gift of forgiveness and to commit to following His leadership. When we do that, He adopts us into His family, and begins to change us from the inside out.'"

Hybels said that he had to briefly share that one day on the lake when a group of boaters asked him in passing what it meant to be a Christian. Are you ready to have that conversation? If not, you may want to reread the "Do vs. Done" conversation to give you a better idea how to "give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15).

Hybels, Bill & Mark Mittelberg, Becoming a Contagious Christian (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), pp. 155, 156.

Journey to the Cross: Day 18

Have you ever found it easier to understand the Bible when it's displayed visually, like in drama or media? A man named Chris Koelle probably has. Koelle is a recent up and coming artist in the United States today and specializes in printmaking, drawing, and painting. Part of his work depicts stories from the Bible and makes the words of Scripture come alive. He has done art work for Death By Love by Mark Driscoll as well as John Piper's book, JOB. You can view his more extensive gallery by visiting his website and online portfolio.

For our Journey to the Cross today, we challenge you to read Luke 10:25-37. Then click here to view one of Koelle's paintings with his own thoughts and reflections on the love and mercy of Jesus Christ.

Journey to the Cross: Day 17

"Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey.

"When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way.

"Last of all, he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said.

"But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance.' So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

[Jesus asked,] "Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"

"He will bring those wretches to a wretched end," they replied, "and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time."

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:

" 'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes' ?

"Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables, they knew he was talking about them. They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.

Matthew 21:33-46

Reflect on these questions today:

1. Who in the story do you think the characters represent? The Tenets? The Landowner? The Servants? The Son?

2. Do you listen to the people that God sends your way to grow and challenge you? Your pastors? Your mentors? Your parents?

3. If you're a Christ-follower, God has entrusted his kingdom to you. Are you bearing fruit for him? How do you bear fruit for Him (Read John 15:5)?

Journey to the Cross: Day 16

“There was also a prophetess, Anna…She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying." (Luke 2:36, 37)

Anna’s journey to know Jesus Christ including “fasting.” Today, let’s take a look at the discipline of fasting and see how you can do it in your life.

What is Fasting?

Fasting is when you stop doing something you normally do for a period of time to focus on Christ. That “something” can sometimes be what you’ve recently been substituting for God. For example, when you’re weary from a hard day, you turn to that “something” instead of God. Maybe your "something" is:

• T.V.
• Recreational Shopping
• Facebook
• Food
• Texting
• Etc, etc, etc…

But let’s get this strait - when you fast, or stop doing that “something,” the purpose is not to simply suffer. It’s so you can be separated or set apart for only Jesus and concentrate on godliness. Fasting also doesn’t earn you anything. Christ already died so you can have favor with God.

What is the benefit of fasting from food?

There are many benefits from fasting, some obvious and some not so obvious. First, if you’re fasting from food, the blood that your body uses normally to digest food becomes available for greater mental concentration. Additionally, when your body is without food, that allows it to eliminate a lot of the its toxins. Ever struggle focusing when you’re praying? Refraining from eating can actually help you focus spiritually!

But what are the spiritual benefits?

The AIM of fasting is not the physical benefits (even if it helps you lose a few pounds). Instead, it helps you to enjoy God’s presence in your life. It also helps the intensity of your prayer (Luke 2:37) and your repentance (Joel 2:12). Fasting from anything, whether it be food or not, also:

• releases the Holy Spirit to do his revival work within us.
• reduces the power of "self."
• helps purify us spiritually.
• brings yieldedness, even holy brokenness, resulting in inner calm and self-control.
• renews spiritual vision.
• helps us see what normally controls us (for example, if you’re addicted to caffeine, you realize it controls you when you go through withdrawal!)

Food fasting tips:

• A “normal fast” is defined as not eating food, but drinking water. An “absolute fast” is known as not eating OR drinking. We suggest that if you’ve never fasted before, you try a “normal fast” first. You can also do a “juice fast” which is abstaining from all food but drinking nutritious juice to keep your body up.
• Don’t fast to impress others. Better yet, keep it just between you and God. However, if you’re a middle school or high school student, it might be good to let at least your parents know you’re doing this (tell them why you want to do it, too).
• Start by fasting from one or two meals. That would be like not eating dinner one night (and no snacking either!). Another good challenge would to not eat for 24 hours. The best way to do this is to eat supper one night and not eat again until the next night’s supper.
• Finally, have a purpose why you fast (Zechariah 7:5; 1 Corinthians 13:3). Are you spiritually dry in your walk with God? Are you going through a tough time and need to focus on the power of God in your life? Are you healing from a past sin or mistake? Fasting might be a good idea.

Whether you fast or not during your journey to the cross, we hope you pursue Jesus Christ in your priorities and choices in the coming weeks ahead. See you back here tomorrow!

Resources used in this study: A Journey to Victorious Praying by Dr. Bill Thrasher; Moody Press, published in 2003.

Journey to the Cross: Day 15

For the last two days, we've fixed our minds on the humanity and deity of Jesus Christ. Today we're slowing the pace to just think and reflect on Him. Studying the nature of Jesus should spark a love for Him. The challenge today is to listen to a song by Brooke Fraser and answer honestly this question: "Jesus, are you the one that I want?"



View and Print the lyrics to "Arithmetic" by Brooke Fraser. Be sure to tuck the print out in your Bible so you can think about the words during your devotional time.

Journey to the Cross: Day 14

If we're going to seek after Jesus and make our way to the cross, we're going to have to do our best to discover who he was, not only as a man, but as God. Today, we move on to know Jesus as the Son of God, fully realized in the doctrine of the Trinity.

Does that sound a little heavy? We thought so, too, so we decided to allow another youth pastor to help explain "the Trinty" and how Jesus fits into all of this. :) The following excerpt is from a blog post of Chip Dean, pastor of students at Capshaw Baptist Church in Capshaw, Alabama. Feel free to visit his blog and read his student ministry's strategy. Okay, here we go:

What does it mean that God is Trinity? The term Trinity speaks of the one, true God existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each Person of the Trinity is fully and equally God, but also They are different from one another in their Personhood and role. In other words, God the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father. They are distinct from each other. Also, they each have different roles such as (but not limited to) the Father is the creator, the Son is the sacrifice, and the Spirit is the life-giver. They are distinct (the Father did not die for us).

I think it’s so important for us to see that God exists in Trinity (one God in three persons) all the way from eternity past to eternity future. He has never and will never cease to exist as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If He ceases, then He is no longer God and we no longer have salvation through Him. We see in eternity past that God existed as Trinity by God the Father creating the universe, the Spirit is present and hovering over the waters, and the Son is the one Word the Father created everything by and for (John 1:1-3, 17:24). In the New Testament at Jesus’ baptism, we see the Son being baptized, the Father speaking out, and the Spirit indwelling Jesus as a dove (Matt 3:16-17). In eternity future, we see the Father and the Son (the Lamb) ruling from the throne, and we see the Spirit continuing life like a river does for fish, plants, etc (Rev 22:1-2, Ezekiel 47:1-12). Forever and ever, God is Trinity. Do you know Him like this? Do you pray to the Father, through the power of the Spirit for the glory of the Son (Eph 3:15-17)?

See what we mean? It's hard to get your mind around the nature of God. The trinity doesn't even seem rational sometimes - 1 in 3? 3 in 1? What's all that about?

Following the person of Jesus to the Cross requires faith. It's why some guy named St. Anselm (he lived a long time ago) coined the term "Faith seeing understanding." Though it seems risky to trust the nature of God by faith, it's when we take that step toward the cross that we begin to believe and understand the Trinity.

O God, help us to believe about you what we naturally don't understand. Give us eyes and mind to grasp the nature of our Creator. Allow us to know you that we might fall in love with you in a whole new way.

Amen.

Journey to the Cross: Day 13

The following is an excerpt from Barry St. Clair's book Jesus: No Equal.

"Oxymorons. We use them to try to describe unusual phenomena, things like jumbo shrimp, sweet and sour sauce, pretty ugly and awfully beautiful. They are difficult to explain. Like, why do we make hot tea then put ice in it, and why do we make sweet tea and put lemon in it? It doesn't really make sense. 

"Life is filled with contradictory realities. The incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ is an incredibly complex oxymoron: The infinite God in a finite person. No way to explain that. It's a mystery. How could God become fully man? How could a man be fully God? The apostle John gave the best explanation. What do you think he is saying about Jesus being fully God/fully man?

'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it...The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth' (John 1:1-5, 14).

"Often people get confused when they try to figure out who Jesus really is. Is He God? Or is He man? 

"He was born in the flesh. Mary gave birth to Him. He lived in time. He grew up in a real place. Yet the Bible teaches that He existed from the beginning of time. Jesus was the 'incarnation' of God. Incarnation means 'in the flesh.' Jesus Christ is the one and only incarnation of God. He is the embodiment of God. Jesus was fully God and fully man. God visited the earth in the form of a human being, Jesus.

"In John 1:1-5, 14 we discover probably the best explanation ever given of the incarnation. 'The Word' is Jesus. John gives the 'Top 10' descriptions of Jesus as 'fully God, fully man.'

1. He was in the beginning (before there was time).

2. He was with God.

3. He was God.

4. He created all things.

5. He was life.

6. He was light shining in the darkness.

7. He became flesh.

8. He lived among us.

9. He was full of grace and truth.

10. He expressed the glory of God.

"Imagine that first Christmas day. Picture Jesus in the manger. What would you have seen?

• The tiny clenched hand of a baby that would someday be ruthlessly wrenched open and nailed to a Roman cross for the sin and guilt of the world.
• Hands that were too small to reach up and touch the noses of the animals, yet one day would reach out to the crowds to unstop deaf ears, open blind eyes and raise the dead.
• Eyes that were unable to follow the swishing tails or swaying heads of the animals, but one day would be able to look on the crowds of people and say 'the fields are white for harvest.'
• Feet not yet able to stand up, but later would stride through the corridors of the centuries shedding light on dark hearts, easing people's sorrows, taking away sin and bringing joy to life.

"If Jesus was not fully God and fully man, then who, or what was He? When we look at Jesus Christ, we see God. He is "the visible expression of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15, Phillips).

"If He was God, then what does that mean for us? Jesus is with us every minute of the day wherever we are or whatever we are doing."

"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel-which means, 'God with us'" (Matthew 1:23).

St. Clair, Barry. Jesus: No Equal (Standard Publishing: Cincinnati, 1999), pp. 38-39.

Journey to the Cross: Day 12

As is tradition for many churches during the season of Lent, often people give up something in their life that is costly to them to identify with Christ. It's when they give up something valuable to them (like a favorite food or something that brings them enjoyment), they see how much more struggle it would have taken Jesus to give up his whole Life. Essentially, they're practicing "self-denial," which is sacrificing one's own desires or unselfishness.

How could you practice self-denial this week? Don't just do it to suffer. Since Jesus suffered for you, you don't have to. Instead, practice self-denial so you can remember the cost of your Savior.

While you ponder how you can practice self-denial, read this article about how some students practiced self-denial during Lent.

Journey to the Cross: Day 11

Allegory [al-uh-gawr-ee, -gohree] - noun, plural -ries.  a symbolic narrative.

Have you ever looked for elements of "allegory" in our modern day media? Much of what we watch on T.V. and read in books can have symbolism referencing important parts of human life. 

Sometimes the movies we watch can include characters that exhibit the character and actions of Jesus Christ. The truth is that the story of Jesus Christ strikes a chord in the human heart. It actually means something to us: Jesus Christ, our savior, came and sacrificially gave up his life for us. Why wouldn't we want to capitalize on such a wonderful theme.

While media that provides allegory and symbolism of the life of Jesus is not inspired by God, it can still help us to reflect on the life work and sacrifice that Christ completed on earth. Click on the links below to read reviews of two movies that have Christian allegory and symbolism.

Superman Returns

I am Legend

Journey to the Cross: Day 10

What do you think of when you hear the word "service."

A waiter?


Community work?


Valet?



Cell phone signal?



Let's take a look at what Jesus thought about service. Matthew 20:28 records him saying:

"...just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Jesus' definition of service included sacrifice. Jesus served us by giving his life up in death.

When was the last time you sacrificed something costly to you when you served someone else? Do a self-check and see if you've given up any of these in the last week for someone else:

• you time
• your money
• your health
• your rescources
• your reputation

God created you to serve like Jesus served. Jesus service was meant to be multiplied through actions of His followers, even in the 21st century.

TRY THIS
First, finish this statement: "I can serve _____________ (insert specific person's name) by March 13th by sacrificing _________________.

Now, act out on that statement and serve that person. By next Friday, you will have served and sacrificed like Jesus.

Journey to the Cross: Day 9

After Jesus lived on earth, in Acts 2:14-41, the Apostle Peter addressed a large crowd about who Jesus actually was. There was confusion among people about if Jesus was the Christ or not. While delivering a sound argument for the death, ressurection and ascension of Jesus, Peter says this:

"This man [Jesus] was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross." (v. 23; emphasis added).

What I always find fascinating is that Jesus was handed over to be killed according to God's purpose. In other words, God the father was responsible for the son's death. How heartless! This should sound ridiculous, seeing as the end of 1 John 4:9 says, "...God is love." How does God the Father killing God the Son seem loving at all?

I guess others have thought the same thing, because recently, a book entitled The Lost Message of Jesus has been put out by Zondervan asking the very same question. The author writes that the belief of God putting Jesus to death for the sins of the world is like "... a form of cosmic child abuse - a vengeful Father, punishing his Son for an offence he has not even committed" (p. 182).

Is the cross of Christ a contradiction to God's love? Is it all just "cosmic child abuse"?

Check out this video of Pastor Mark Driscoll answering this question. Feel free to queck out the rest of the church's website.

Journey to the Cross: Day 8

"Love Lustres at Calvary." What does that mean? I went to dictionary.com to look up the definition of lustres. First of all, it was a british varient of "luster," but besides that the very first definition was:

"the state or quality of shining by reflecting light; glitter, sparkle, sheen, or gloss: the luster of satin."

I happened to like the third definition as well:

"radiant or luminous brightness; brilliance; radiance."

So, maybe the phrase is trying to say, at the place where Jesus was crucified (which is what Calvary means), the act of love shown bright. At the cross, there was a glow, a brillance, a light. That radiance came from the act of love that Jesus showed us.



TRY THIS

Highlight with your mouse the prayer below. Select "print" from the file menu. Instead of printing the whole blog, click "selection" and then "print." Then take the prayer with you on your devotions so you can read it and pray it as if it were your own words.



Love Lustres at Calvary


“My Father,
Enlarge my heart, warm my affections,
open my lips, supply words that proclaim:
‘Love lustres at Calvary.’


There grace removes my burdens and heaps them on thy Son,
made a transgressor, a curse, and sin for me;
There the sword of thy justice
smote the man, thy fellow;
There thy infinite attributes were magnified,
and infinite atonement was made;
There infinite punishment was due,
and infinite punishment was endured.


Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy,
cast off that I might be brought in,
trodden down as an enemy that I might be welcomed as a friend,
surrendered to hell’s worst that I might attain heaven’s best,
stripped that I might be clothed,
wounded that I might be healed,
athirst that I might drink,
tormented that I might be comforted,
made a shame that I might inherit glory,
entered darkness that I might have eternal light.


My Saviour wept that all tears might be wiped from my eyes,
groaned that I might have endless song,
endured all pain that I might have unfading health,
bore a thorny crown that I might have a glory-diadem,
bowed his head that I might uplift mine,
experienced reproach that I might receive welcome,
closed his eyes in death that I might gaze on unclouded brightness,
expired that I might for ever live.


O Father, who spared not thine only Son
that thou mightest spare me,
All this transfer thy love designed and accomplished;
Help me to adore thee by lips and life.
O that my every breath might be ecstatic praise,
my every step buoyant with delight,
as I see my enemies crushed,
Satan baffled, defeated, destroyed,
sin buried in the ocean of reconciling blood,
hell’s gates closed, heaven’s portal open.
Go forth, O conquering God, and show me the cross,
mighty to subdue, comfort and save.”



Bennet, Arthur, ed. Valley of Vision (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1975), p. 44.

Journey to the Cross: Day 7

Read this.

Journey to the Cross: Day 5

On February 25, 2004, Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ (Rated R for sequences of graphic violence) was released in theaters worldwide. The movie focused on the death of Jesus Christ. The movie starts with Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane and continues through the dwindling last hours until Christ breathes his last on the cross.

The director, Mel Gibson, found this to be a capstone work of his career, not just because of the granduer of the project, but also because of what it meant to him. He allegedly was the man in the film who put the nail to Jesus' hand and held the hammer that at last drove it through. While his face and body were off-screen, his hands were shown doing this. His decision to do this signals his personal involvement and participation in the sin that Jesus had to die for.

It's a reminder that we are invovled in the death of Christ as well. Our sin forced the nails through his flesh, too.

Below is the clip from the movie when Mel Gibson puts the nail to Christ's hand. Before Easter, rent the film and watch it for yourself (if you are under 17 years old, be sure to ask your parents). You might want to spend time before hand being silent and preparing yourself for what you'll see. As a disclaimer, the clip below also contains some graphic violence.