Lent 2022

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Revelation 21.5

Praise God for inviting us to live on the resurrection side of the cross. The resurrection truly changed everything.

James York writes, “The resurrection changed everything. The disciples buried their fear and sin then they courageously spread the gospel, the good news of life and love. They formed the world’s first inclusive community including Jew, Greek, slave, free, male, female, rich, and poor. All were welcomed and loved. Together they worked with the risen Jesus now guiding each of them through the Holy Spirit in their heart and mind to begin breaking down every ethnic, social and cultural barrier. The resurrection inspired them to sacrifice property, possessions, reputation, vocations and positions. The resurrection enabled them to forgive and to help others discover that resurrection life is conquering every form of death.“

The disciples now seeing believed.

What do you believe?

Heaven believes Good Friday finished it. Heaven believes on Good Friday Jesus conquered sin and death. Heaven believes Good Friday is the end – it is the death of death. Heaven believes on Good Friday Jesus made atonement for the whole world.

Romans 3.22-26 says, “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

Heaven believes the crucifixion is inextricably linked to the resurrection. Matthew’s Gospel record the following, “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” Matthew 27.51-54

Heaven doesn’t see the crucifixion and the resurrection as two separate events. On Good Friday as Christ dies the dead are raised to life. This event is a foreshadowing of resurrection – immediately after Christ breathes his last – this connects victory to the seeming defeat.  

These raised saints entered earthly Jerusalem where the temple veil had been torn. The way into God’s full presence was opened. This scene is only a foretaste of what will come in our heavenly Jerusalem when God’s true temple will be open and unveiled, and the resurrected saints will dwell with the Triune God forever!

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Revelation 19.11-16

What does heaven believe about you?

Heaven believes you’re worth it. Heaven believes you’re worth all of that.

You are worth all of heaven’s suffering. You are worth all the pain. All the sin. All the wrath.

So that you might know God’s kindness, the richness of His mercy. So that you might know His love, and live in His love, and rest in His love. So that you might know how to live and love “on earth as it is in heaven.” So that you might know: (Philippians 3.10-11) Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

What do you believe?

Easter is raw reality. Easter stands in stark witness, not to the meaning of death, but to the meaning of what it is to go on despite death, in the face of death–because of death – because of resurrection.

To fully celebrate Easter means to stand in the light of the empty tomb and decide what we are going to believe – to decide what difference it makes – and what to do next.

What do you believe?

Pray through what heaven believes and declares, Revelation 21.3-7.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’^[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

⁵ He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

⁶ He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. ⁷ Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

Today, as we sit in the silence of the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, reflect on the works of the classic hymn “Nothing but the Blood of Jesus,” written by Robert Lowry in 1876. These words are true today for you and for me.

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Refrain:
O precious is the flow
that makes me white as snow;
no other fount I know;
nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon this I see:
nothing but the blood of Jesus.
For my cleansing this my plea:
nothing but the blood of Jesus. [Refrain]

Nothing can for sin atone:
nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Naught of good that I have done:
nothing but the blood of Jesus. [Refrain]

This is all my hope and peace:
nothing but the blood of Jesus.
This is all my righteousness:
nothing but the blood of Jesus. [Refrain]

Amen.

As mentioned yesterday, we invite you to stop by the front of the church today for a time of reflection on the stations of the cross. You can also view the stations online HERE.

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. ²² But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—²³ if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. Colossians 1:21-23

We have spent the last four days digging into the truth of Colossians 1:21-22 and it has been amazing to be reminded of our standing prior to Christ, and our identity because of Jesus. If you keep reading and come to verse 23, you may find reason to be concerned. After Paul describes us as being reconciled, holy, without blemish, and free from accusation, we find what could be a concerning word: “if.” Wait… are these things that Paul says are true of me conditional and not guaranteed?

First, we must remember that the beauty of verse 22 was not based on our efforts, but on Christ’s sacrificial death. Just like we could not earn right standing before God through our efforts, Paul is certainly not saying that your blameless status when standing before God is maintained through our actions. Paul anchors our ongoing faith with the words “established” and “firm.” These terms are associated with the foundation of a building and they point to the necessity of never moving past the “hope” of the gospel. Here is a crucial reminder that we never move past the reconciling work of Christ to more “mature” things. Everything rests on the hope that Jesus alone provides for those who trust in him. Our hope is not that we will be reconciled one day, but in the reality that we are reconciled today. The anchor of our hope is not in the future but in a historical event of the past. Reconciliation is only possible because of Christ’s death.

Today is Good Friday. The day that Jesus proclaimed from the cross, “It is finished.” The payment was made. The debt was satisfied. The mission was completed. Yes, it is vital that we continue in our faith, but this is done in response to what has already been done, not out of fear that we will lose what has been given. Because Jesus said “It is finished,” we respond with a life of faith in response to the life we have been given. Those who know Jesus have been reconciled to God. It’s true!

Reflection:

1. Have you ever found yourself tempted to “move from the hope held out in the gospel”? How does this drift happen over time?

2. How has your relationship with Jesus grown over time while remaining “established and firm” on the foundation of the hope of the gospel?

3. Have you ever found yourself drifting to living as if God’s love is conditional on your ongoing devotion?

Stations in the Street

Today & tomorrow, we invite you to stop by the front of the church and reflect on the artwork that depicts the stations of the cross. We trust this space will help us reflect on the sacrifice that was made so that we could have peace with God. If you cannot get to the church, you can view the artwork online HERE.

Pray through the truth of Romans 8:31-39.

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written,

       “For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation. Colossians 1:22

Yesterday, we rejoiced over the incredible truth of “But now…” in Colossians 1:22. Two words that change everything for us who have come to know the saving grace of Jesus. This was pretty incredible, but there is more for us to embrace. Paul goes on to describe how we move from being alienated and enemies of God to something incredible. Verse 22 describes believers as “holy,” “without blemish,” and “free from accusation.” What we see here is that the goal of Christ’s sacrifice was to present us as righteous before God. Colossians 1:21 and 1:22 could not describe two more polar opposites. Is this true for me? Is this true for you?

The reconciliation we see here is made possible by the death of Christ’s physical body. Paul was directly addressing a popular belief that Jesus wasn’t really human, but only appeared to be human. If you back up to Colossians 1:15-20, we read of the preeminence of Christ as “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” Paul paints a picture of the greatness of Jesus so that when he gets to the reconciling work of Jesus, the question is not if Jesus could actually do this but awe that God himself would go this far to make peace with his creation. Jesus came on the greatest rescue mission ever so that he could return to the Father and present you and me “holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”

Today is known as Maundy Thursday of Holy Week and it is the day where Jesus celebrated the Passover in the upper room with his disciples. In these final moments with his disciples, Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, gave us communion, reiterated several essential truths, and prayed an incredible prayer for the disciples and future followers (John 13-17, Matthew 26:17-29). Today, when we observe the Lord’s Supper we remember the very physical nature of Christ’s sacrifice for us. If it is difficult to believe that God sees his children as holy, blameless, and free from accusation, the upper room is a window into the love that made those truths possible for you and me.

We invite you to join us at Sanctuary this evening at 6:30pm as we pause and remember that night long, long ago in the upper room as Jesus gave us physical reminders of a new spiritual reality available to us to become holy and blameless children of God.

Reflection:

1. What words do you think of God using to describe you?

2. When was the last time you thought of yourself as “blameless”?

3. What accusations do you battle in your life? How do the words of Romans 8:33-34 encourage you?

Pray through the truth of Matthew 26:17-29

¹⁷ On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

¹⁸ He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” ¹⁹ So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

²⁰ When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. ²¹ And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”

²² They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”

²³ Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. ²⁴ The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

²⁵ Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”

Jesus answered, “You have said so.”

²⁶ While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”²⁷ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ This is my blood of the^[a] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹ I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”