The Cross is Personal

When Jesus picked up a wooden cross and died on it, He was not dying for His principles. It was personal—He died “for” you and me. And when Jesus said “pick up your cross” (Luke 9:23), He made the “cross” even more personal—that we die “with” Him. 

“Your cross” points to something individual, and personal: to give up ownership of your desires, ambitions, and plans. Not that they are sinful (some of them may be), but they now serve God's purpose. Jesus warned his cross-bearing followers that devotion to Him would mean a detachment from things on earth, even the right to one’s own life:

“You are not your own; you are bought with a price that you should no longer live for yourself, but for Him who died and rose again on your behalf” (1 Co. 6:20). Only by picking up your cross, by losing your life, will you find your life (Matt. 10:39). And you can't get any more personal than that. Have a blessed Easter!

Observing LENT: Has anyone ever died from fasting?

Two weeks ago, Ash Wednesday began the 40 days of Lent leading up to Easter. The idea behind Lent fasting is to identify with the sufferings of Christ.  According to a Barna survey, 30% of Lent observers fast food or drink, 28% fast meat, 28% sugar.

Although I can appreciate the intent of Lent fasting, I am not an observer.  Someone will have to convince me that suffering the loss of sugar for 5 ½ weeks is tantamount to the travail of Jesus. Admittedly, it is easier to skip a meal every day for a month than “pick up your cross daily!” Our highest call, according to Paul, is to be conformed to Christ's death (Phil 3:10; 1 Pet. 4:1). 

The true disciple's fast is not seasonal—but a lifetime of daily self-denial. Fasting one’s self is Jesus' mandated method for attaining more of His life and vitality. Has anyone ever died from this fast? Yes. Paul did: I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me (Gal. 2:20). But, listen to this: if we die with Him, we shall live like kings with Him (2 Tim 2:11-12, edited). 

Jumping for Joy

You will take note from my post yesterday that at this time of year I feel compelled to warn us against the trivialization and commercialization of Easter. I believe the shallow “happiness” sentiment expressed by way of bunnies and colored eggs is nothing less than the spirit of antichrist.

That being said, however, Christ’s resurrection is the happiest of all historical events, and should fill us with so much joy we cannot contain it.

In the Greek language there is a word for unrestrained joy. In Jude 24, 1 Peter 4:13 and Matthew 5:12, the Greek word is translated “exceeding joy,” denoting excessive joy and delight. It is derived from the word “to leap.” Somewhat humorously, we have an English equivalent expression: “jumping for joy.” I should point out that this “leaping” word for joy is not the word normally used. It seems the New Testament writers wanted a word that could express eternal joy irrespective of circumstances: “to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exceeding joy (1 Pe 4:13).

No matter how hapless yours, or my, circumstances may be at this moment, let's determine not to  let it keep us from having a “jumping for joy” Easter Sunday on the inside!

Easter Eggs, Bunnies and Beautiful Crosses

It's that time of year for the Seeker-Friendly churches to have their annual Easter Egg hunts.  What the Easter Bunny and Easter eggs have in common is a mystery to me.  I believe these icons of Easter must be terribly offensive to our Lord: they make a mockery of this holyday.  Do most Christians think these things are harmless?

In the same vein, jewelry stores offer special seasonal sales on diamond and ruby studded silver and gold crosses—shiny symbols of Christian faith. But are they?  The cross of Jesus' day was an instrument of torture and death.  When Jesus told His followers they needed to pick up their crosses, they understood His meaning.  

How many nominal Christians wear a cross to identify their faith without fully understanding its significance?  It seems to me a glamorous jeweled gold cross can be as much an offense to Christ as the Easter Bunny.  In speaking of those who do not take the death and resurrection (and the blood) of Jesus seriously, the writer of Hebrews says they have insulted the Spirit of grace for treating the blood of the covenant as a common thing. (Heb. 10:29)  Is the Easter Bunny harmless?  I don't think so.

It's not just any Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday, which begins the 40-day discipline of Lent for many Christians (more common to Catholics, Episcopalians, Lutherans): a time of fasting, prayer, and self-examination before Resurrection Sunday. While the “holiday” is not to be found in the Bible (neither is Christmas or Easter), it seems to me the sentiment it carries is cross-centered: a time for Christians to identify with the sufferings of Christ.

Unfortunately, the day before Ash Wednesday is “Fat Tuesday,” the last day of Mardi Gras—an oddly pagan celebration devoted to overindulgence and revelry before the days of deprivation begin. For those who practice such licentiousness leading up to Lent, it is the greatest of hypocrisies. And perhaps for that reason, many of us who grew up non-Catholic never participated in Lent. But I think we may have “thrown out the baby with the bathwater” [forgive the expression].

The basic idea of Lent is rooted in the Lord's 40 days in the wilderness and temptation by Satan.  So Lent reminds us how Jesus was tempted in all ways like as we are, yet without sin (Heb 4:15). Now who can fault that! And what better time than these days leading up to Easter to examine ourselves to see if we are being faithful to His calling (2 Cor. 13:5; 2 Pe. 1:10).  It seems to me that Lent is not an event as much as it is a state of mind to be cultivated—on any Wednesday.

On Easter Sunday at Joel’s Church, It was All About YOU!

Anyone who knows about Joel Osteen knows his constant message is all about “YOU,” well established by his book titles: Become a Better YOU: Seven Keys to Improving YOUR Life, YOUR Best Life Now, and It’s YOUR Time. Last week (March 30 post) I warned “as Easter nears, I am afraid that many well-intentioned pastors’ sermons will make Jesus’ death more about us than about Him.” This is what Joel Osteen did.

Joel’s message to his audience of 50,000 in Houston and countless thousands around the world (his TV program is now seen in 100 countries) focused entirely on the benefits of Jesus’ resurrection for YOU; so now YOU can accomplish YOUR goals and realizeYOUR dreams. What I found most offensive, however, was Joel’s comparison of our trials to Jesus death on the cross. Specifically, Joel said “you may be experiencing your ‘Friday’ (the day of despair) but I promise you your resurrection day is just around the corner.” The notion of comparing Jesus’ torture and death by Roman executioners (as He took on the sins of the world and was forsaken by His Father) to your disappointments is so self-centered, it is absurd (as though Jesus was just having a bad day!).

Joel made no attempt to teach the meaning of the cross for mankind—remission of sins, the defeat of Satan, and the promise of victory over sin: a resurrection message without any mention of Christ's atonement. Jesus said “If I be lifted up I will draw all men to myself.” Jesus was not lifted up in Houston this last Sunday morning but YOU were.

The Finest Hour the World has Ever Known

Shortly after he took over as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Winston Churchill delivered the “This was their finest hour” speech. Though it may have been Great Britain’s finest hour, we can be certain it was not the finest hour the world has ever known. That honor belongs only to the Son of God.

Many times during his three-year ministry, Jesus said “My hour is not yet come” (John 2:4; 7:6, 8, 30; 8:20), revealing His life-long anticipation of that “hour.” When finally Jesus said the hour has come (John 17:1), He knew it was the HOUR that would change the world—the finest hour the world has ever known. Jesus’ finest hour was the polar opposite of the world’s idea of greatness. He suffered a cruel death as a common criminal at the age of 33, alone and deserted by all his followers. Yet this was His finest hour.

Today, Good Friday, Christians around the globe will remember the hour of Jesus’ death. But the meaning of the Cross remains incomprehensible to the natural man. Jesus achieved more in his darkest hour than all the world's heroes and benefactors put together. It was the hour when He died for all mankind to destroy the devil, the one who held the power of death, and to free those who all their lives were held in slavery (Heb. 2:14-15). Death was swallowed up in victory (1 Cor. 15:54), bringing infinite blessing to mankind, turning sorrow to joy, sickness to health, hatred to love, darkness to light and death to life. His final words “it is finished” reveal the purpose of His life—“accomplishing the work God sent Him to do” (John 17:4)—to set the captives free!

Is this not the finest hour the world has ever known! This Easter, let us determine to walk in the freedom He died to give us.

Risen or Resurrected?

Do you have a tradition in your Easter morning service where each one turns to another and says “He is Risen!” and then the other responds with “He is Risen Indeed!” I don’t mean to wrangle over semantics, but I think A. B. Simpson makes a good case for distinguishing between RISEN and RESURRECTED.

One may rise from one level to another; but when one is resurrected he is brought from nothing into existence, from death to life. A true Christian does not rise, but is resurrected. The great objection to all the teachings of mere natural religion and human ethics is that they teach us to rise to higher planes. The Christian life is not about self-improvement, but it is wholly supernatural and divine. Resurrection cannot come until there has been death, and just as real as the death has been will be the measure of the resurrection life and power (The Christ Life).

On this Easter, I fear that too many will be teaching that Jesus’ resurrection means we too will be able to rise to greater heights, achieve our goals and dreams, and reach our full potential. Let’s have none of that. Let us remember that our co-death and co-resurrection with Jesus (Ro. 6:1-11) means we have been raised from the grave of our nothingness to be seated with Him in heavenly places” (Eph. 2:6).

Jesus is the LAST and the SECOND!

Today is Easter Sunday. How can one who has written a book called “Are You Dying to Live the Abundant Life?” and developed a ministry around the “dying to live abundant life” principles not speak out on this day? So, to all of my friends I say “Blessed Resurrection Day.”

In 1 Corinthians 15:45, Christ is referred to as the LAST Adam, and in verse 47, as the SECOND Man.

As the LAST Adam, Christ put an end to the first creation, including all who were born of “sinful” Adam. When Jesus died on the cross, he took our sinful humanity on Himself, took the punishment, bringing complete and final closure to that first creation (Romans 8:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

As the SECOND (Adam) Man, Christ becomes the firstborn of the New Creation: He is born from above; He is the beginning of what-Paul-calls the “NEW MAN:" One NEW MAN in Christ (Ephesians 2:15; Colossians 3:10).

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become NEW" (2 Corinthians 5:17). And now, “just as Christ was raised from the dead…even so we should walk in the NEWNESS of life” (Romans 6:4).