The Ark Encounter – From Imagination into Reality

For years we drove past the exit on the way either to or from Ohio. Each time we’d say, “We need to go there.” Finally, we did. Last week we joined a group from our church for a bus tour to the Ark Encounter in northern Kentucky, just south of Cincinnati. We weren’t disappointed. 

Most of us have read or at least heard about Noah’s Ark. In case you’re somehow unfamiliar with it, the account is found in Genesis 5-8. After deciding He could no longer tolerate the utter wickedness and depravity that pervaded the earth, God said, “‘I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth – men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air – for I am grieved that I have made them.’ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:7-8).

 

Why was Noah the exception? The next verse tells us: “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.” Noah alone was worth saving from His righteous wrath. To save him and his family from a flood that would cover the earth, the Lord instructed him to build an ark and gave specific instructions for its design. 

Some translations say the vessel was 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits wide. But as comedian Bill Cosby used to ask in one of his old skits about Noah and the ark, “What’s a cubit?” Since a “common cubit” is roughly 18 inches, many biblical translations state the ark was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high.

 

When we arrived at the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Ky., we found a replica of the ark every bit as large – and then some. Based on the “royal cubit” which archaeologists have determined was used for large projects in the ancient world, the life-size model is approximately 510 feet long, 85 feet wide and 51 feet high – a towering seven stories in height.

 

To those of us who heard stories about Noah’s ark, perhaps in Sunday school or vacation Bible school, it was an object for our imagination. How big a boat would it take to house not only Noah and his wife, three sons and daughters-in-law, but also many thousands of animals of all kinds, birds and insects? Entering the ark replica, which includes three decks, helps to transform what we’ve imagined into reality.

 

Inside visitors find numerous exhibits, reasonably conjectured compartments to house the animals, storage areas for food and supplies, and ideas about what living quarters might have been like for Noah and his family. There are also explanations for how provision could have been made for feeding procedures, ventilation, capturing and distribution of water, waste removal, and other necessities. Even the perpetual question, “But what about the dinosaurs?” is addressed.

 

Those in technical professions – whether they’re believers in what the Bible teaches about the ark or not – will find the discussions for how the original ark was likely constructed interesting at the very least. But even for non-technical minds like mine it’s clear the ark was a project of mammoth proportions (okay, pun intended). 

 

This was no fanciful endeavor; it was the result of extensive research and in-depth consultations with engineers, scientists and architects to ensure the Ark Encounter’s presentation was as plausible and scientifically accurate as possible.

 

What struck me most during my self-guided tour of the replica ark were two things. First, skeptics might argue that such a thing is fantasy, that no vessel could possibly be constructed to contain everything the Bible says it did, not to mention weather such a catastrophe as a global flood. However, if one sets aside preconceptions and gives honest consideration to what’s presented and how, it no longer seems beyond the scope of possibility. 

 

Second, I was greatly impressed by the quality of the work, from conception to execution. Nothing is haphazard or whimsical. Colossians 3:23 instructs God’s people, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” This project, which has been providing amazement for visitors since it opened in 2016, truly was done with a desire to bring glory to God and offer believers and non-believers alike much to see and consider.

 

Time after time without fail, archaeological discoveries have confirmed what the Bible reports about history in ancient times, and the building of this replica ark gives credence to the biblical account, reasonably dispelling notions that it’s merely a myth or fable. As Psalm 119:160 declares of God and His Word, “The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.” If the Lord says it in the Scriptures, we can trust in it.

Who Are You … Where Do You Get Your Identity?

We hear a lot about “identity” these days. It’s amazing how many different ways folks devise to find their identity. Many people get it from the jobs and careers: CPAs and attorneys. Carpenters and electricians. Firefighters and paramedics. Store managers and corporate executives. Doctors and nurses. Sales representatives and marketers. Writers and artists. Actors and musicians.

 

Others identify with their unique roles: Homemakers and caregivers. Soccer moms and professional athletes. Volunteers. These days we’ve got “identity politics,” which has to do with posturing or taking a soapbox to opine about issues related to differences in race, ethnicity and gender. Which leads to the whole gender identity debate, but we’re not going there.

 

In one respect, it boils down to affirmation. Where do we get “attaboys” and feel affirmed for who we are – or who we think we are? People even find their identity in such things as “Likes” on social media, or the number of followers they have for their videos, blogs or podcasts. When people “like” us for our livestreams or posts, we can feel affirmed, important. Even if the folks liking us don’t even know us and we don’t know them. I’m reminded of Sally Field’s comments years ago after she had won an Academy Award. With delight she said to the Hollywood elite, “You like me! You really like me!”

 

There’s nothing wrong with getting fulfillment or joy from our work. And serving in roles that help others can give us satisfaction. But “who we are” has to amount to more than where we go to work and what we do there, or how we spend our days, who we associate with, or whether we’ve achieved some measure of cyberspace celebrity.

 

One reason is because if whatever it is we choose as our identity is lost or stripped away, then who are we? What if people stop affirming us for whatever we do – or have done?

 

For the follower of Jesus Christ, there’s only one genuine, enduring, never-to-be-lost source of identity. It’s that of being born again, children of the King. Repeatedly in the Scriptures the Lord assures His people, “never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:5). Just before ascending to heaven after His resurrection, Jesus told His disciples, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

 

Over the years I’ve derived a lot of value from the jobs I undertook, being a community newspaper editor, magazine editor, author and book editor. But all of those vocational pursuits have come and gone. And I’ve had the privilege of discipling and mentoring a number of men. But none of those things are the determining factors for my identity.

 

There’s an unforgettable statement God made through the prophet Isaiah which each of us who has committed to follow Christ can take to heart. Spoken directly to the people of Israel, it’s a promise for every one of His children: “But now, this is what the Lord says – He who created you, Jacob, He who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name. You are Mine'” (Isaiah 43:1).

 

“You are Mine.” There’s a powerful scene in an early scene from “The Chosen” in which Jesus seeks out Mary Magdalene and says those words of comfort, affirmation and acceptance to her. Take a moment and imagine standing before the Lord, having Him look at you and say, “You are Mine.” How would that make you feel?

 

Years ago, I had a friend who had spent many years studying the Bible and had even committed hundreds of Scripture verses to memory. Ted was a very accomplished businessman and had spent much of his life rubbing shoulders with people of great prominence from around the world. He had a wonderful wife and two beautiful daughters, but he made clear none of those things were the source of his identity.

 

One verse, Acts 17:28, summed up for Ted where his sense of identity came from: “For in Him [Jesus Christ] we live and move and have our being.” For him, Jesus was everything. Without Him, Ted knew he was nothing.

 

Even for preachers and missionaries – people in vocational ministry – those jobs should not and cannot be the ultimate sources for their identity. Rather, it’s what the apostle Paul said in describing the transforming impact of Jesus Christ in his life. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

 

Paul found his identity solely in his relationship with Jesus, not his ministry or the fruit from his missionary journeys. He certainly no longer identified with the fame and acclaim he had once achieved in being what he termed “a Pharisee of Pharisees.” Elsewhere he wrote, “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:4).

 

What is your identity? Is it your job? Your spouse or family? Your lifestyle? The stuff you possess? Or is it in the one and only thing you can never lose – an eternal relationship with God through Jesus Christ? Is He, as Paul wrote, your life? 

Requirement To Earn God’s Acceptance: ‘Do Nothing’

Have you noticed how much of life involves earning what we want? It starts when we’re kids and Mom and Dad give us a small allowance, often with the caveat that we perform certain chores like cleaning our room or putting our toys away. We go to school where we’re told to pay attention, do our homework, study and prepare for tests so we can earn good grades. 

Then we get into the work world and find a similar principle: To earn money we must perform specified responsibilities to the satisfaction of our boss or supervisor. But it doesn’t end there. To find a better job, gain a promotion or get an increase in pay, we have to earn it.

 

For athletes, it’s always about earning. Making the team, winning a spot in the starting lineup or a role as a key backup, then maintaining or securing that position. They have to earn it – every day.

 

So, it’s not surprising to assume the same would be true of the spiritual realm. Many people expect the prevalent message to be about earning: Earning God’s love, earning His acceptance, earning salvation and admission into heaven. Doing our best to be ‘good enough.’ Except for one thing: That’s not what God teaches in His Word.

 

The Scriptures teach that no matter how much good we do, it will never be sufficient to earn God’s acceptance and approval. Isaiah 64:6 declares, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags….” In case that’s not clear enough, Romans 3:10-12 tells us, “There is no one righteous, not even one… All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

 

“But I’m a good person,” someone might argue. “Look at all the good things I’ve done – and continue to do. Why isn’t that good enough?” That was the attitude of a rich ruler who, according to Luke 18:18-23, approached Jesus Christ one day while He was addressing a sizable crowd. He asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” A reasonable question, right?

 

“‘Why do you call Me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good – except God alone. You know the commandments: “Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.”’” The ruler probably felt rather smug upon hearing this because he replied, “All these I have kept since I was a boy.” Check, check, check, check – and check.

 

What Jesus said next stopped him cold. “‘You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.’ When he heard this [the ruler] became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.”

 

The Lord wasn’t giving this man a lesson in generosity, or the pitfalls of affluence. He was helping him to understand that no matter what we do, we can’t earn – or pay – our way to eternal life. It’s not a matter of performance, but a matter of the heart.

 

Someone who had studied the world’s religions, along with Christianity, concluded, “Religion is spelled with two letters, DO. Do this, do that. Christianity is spelled with four letters, DONE.” Because, as we just observed during Good Friday and Easter, Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection did for us what we could never achieve ourselves. As Romans 5:8 states, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

 

I think back to my high school years when I first heard the truth that salvation – God’s acceptance and the assurance of eternal life – is solely a matter of faith, not anything that we do. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

 

This isn’t an isolated passage because many others say much the same. For instance, a few verses earlier the apostle Paul affirms, “But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5). And elsewhere the apostle explains, “[God our Savior] saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).

 

There’s absolutely nothing we can do to earn God’s grace – His unmerited favor. As an old hymn says, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.”

 

However, the fact that we can do nothing to earn or deserve the Lord’s forgiveness and acceptance into His holy family doesn’t give us the license to do whatever we want. Two other verses, I call them the “do nothing” passage, specify how we’re to act as those whom God has redeemed: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). 

 

Just as Jesus willingly went to the cross, denying His own interests to become the atoning sacrifice for our sins, as “new creations in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17) we are to put the needs and best interests of others ahead of our own. In this way we can, “prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).

Transforming the Cross from Death to Life

Have you ever gone into a jewelry store to be shown a necklace with a miniature electric chair hanging from it? Of course not. How about a charm bracelet featuring a hangman’s noose? No way, right? Then why do many people proudly wear cross necklaces and bracelets, tee shirts with images of the cross, or even use crosses as wall decorations in their homes?

 

More than 2,000 years ago someone had the brilliant idea (not really) to invent crucifixion, perhaps the most heinous, excruciating form of death ever conceived. In Jesus Christ’s day, seeing criminals being executed by nailing them to a cross wasn’t unusual – just cruel. Not only was it painful beyond imagining, but it also was humiliating and dehumanizing. 

 

Witnesses probably regarded many of the people crucified as deserving of that fate, but Jesus wasn’t. Even Pontius Pilate, the one who had to authorize Jesus’s crucifixion, stated, “I find no basis for a charge against Him” (John 18:38). But the Lord’s death was foreordained, not because He had ever done anything wrong – which He hadn’t – but because there was no other way for God to accomplish once-for-all atonement for the countless sins of mankind.

 

The Israelites understood this from the Torah – which now is part of the Bible’s Old Testament. As God told Moses in instituting ritual animal sacrifices, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for your souls upon the altar; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11).

 

Long before false charges were brought against Jesus to justify His crucifixion, He understood the shedding of His own blood was the ultimate reason He came to earth in human form. Just hours before going through His mock trial on false charges, being cruelly scourged and mocked, and then crucified, Jesus had shared the Passover meal with His disciples. Using the traditional cup of wine symbolically, He told them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28).

 

By willingly dying for us on the cross, He transformed the instrument of the most diabolical form of execution into God’s glorious mechanism for forgiveness, freedom from sin and guilt, and the promise of eternal life.

 

An electric chair, a noose, even a syringe for transporting lethal poison will always signify death. No one in their right mind wants to wear symbols of those around their neck, on a bracelet or displayed on a shirt. But through Jesus’ sacrificial, atoning death on the cross, it now serves as a symbol of hope, standing for God’s incredible love, grace and mercy.

 

Some Christian denominations continue to display the crucifix, which bears the image of Jesus on the cross. But for most evangelical congregations, the cross is shown as empty because we know Christ is no longer on the cross. And the tomb in which His body was laid also is empty. As the angel told the women who had gone to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body, “He is not here; He has risen, just as He said…” (Matthew 28:6). 

 

Because of that, millions around the world proudly wear crosses to declare their faith in Jesus Christ, knowing His death, burial and resurrection forever transformed the cross into a representation of forgiveness, redemption and rebirth.

 

The words of 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 ask and answer, “‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The unsurpassed example of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat and despair.

 

Speaking to Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Jewish ruling council, Jesus drew a parallel to an event that took place while the Jews were wandering in the desert thousands of years earlier: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). The key words are, “everyone who believes in Him.”

 

The Lord proceeded to utter perhaps the most profound and revolutionary words ever spoken. He told the Jewish leader, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life…. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:16-18).

 

For many of us, the cross does not remind us of tragedy; it serves as the symbol of God’s unfathomable love for His creation, His substitutionary payment for our sins – for all who are willing to receive this greatest gift of all. As Jesus declared on the cross with His last breath, “It is finished” (John 19:30). He used a Greek word, tetelestai, which literally means, “paid in full.”

 

This closing weekend of Holy Week is bittersweet, commemorating Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins but also celebrating His resurrection. As someone has said, He died a death He did not deserve to pay a debt He did not owe, a debt we could not pay – to redeem us and offer us the gift of eternal life.

 

A well-known hymn, “Hallelujah, What a Savior,” says it so well:

“‘Man of Sorrows’ what a name

For the Son of God who came

Ruined sinners to reclaim

Hallelujah, what a Savior….”

 

Indeed. What a Savior!

There Really Is Power in the Blood

Blood. It’s one of life’s building blocks for all vertebrates, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. But it’s interesting to consider what blood means to different people. For surgeons, nurses, emergency room staff and first responders, it’s a normal part of a day’s work – making incisions, drawing blood for testing, giving transfusions, and stopping bleeding from severe wounds. 

And if you’re a patient in need of a transfusion, you don’t want to hear someone say, “Sorry, we’re all out of your blood type. But we do have some high-quality tomato juice. Or some vintage cherry Kool-Aid. Which would you prefer?”

 

If you were to ask the director of a modern-day horror movie, however, you’d get a very different perspective. Blood’s a vital part of creating the film’s gore factor. On the other hand, parents have another vantage point. If little Johnny or Ginny runs home crying, blood seeping from a knee, elbow or finger, they know it’s time for remedial action. 

 

Most of us take blood for granted, even though we have approximately 10 pints of it circulating continually through their bodies. Blood has many life-giving properties: transporting oxygen and nutrients to cells throughout the body; helping dispose of carbon dioxide and waste products; providing immune protection from viruses, bacteria and infections; possessing a complex clotting system; assisting in regulating body temperature; and maintaining vital pH and fluid balances. 

 

A small minority of people find the sight of blood traumatizing. Hemophobia is an intense, irrational fear of blood that can cause dizziness, extreme anxiety, even fainting. Have you seen the new TV show, “Best Medicine”? It’s about a prominent big-city surgeon who takes up a small-town medical practice for one reason – he can’t tolerate the sight of blood. Not a desirable trait for a physician.

 

But nowhere does blood play a more central role than in the Bible. There are some who call Christianity a “bloody religion,” and there’s some validity to that. In the Old Testament, especially Leviticus, we see God establishing precise, detailed animal sacrifices to be performed by the Israelite priests as ritual atonement for the people’s sins. Sacrificing sheep and goats and birds didn’t provide for the actual forgiveness of sins but pointed to the once-for-all-time sacrifice that would be made by Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

 

With Good Friday coming up in a few days, followed by Easter, it’s fitting to contemplate the incomparable impact of the blood Christ shed during His scourging and crucifixion. The night before His crucifixion, Jesus observed the Passover meal with His disciples. Taking a cup containing the ceremonial wine, He declared, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). Jesus knew with certainty what He was facing.

 

This scene is recalled later in the New Testament when the apostle Paul, writing to believers in Corinth, described how they should observe the Lord’s Supper, which we commonly refer to as communion: “The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me’” (1 Corinthians 11:23-25).

 

Just as physically we rely on the blood in our bodies to remove impurities, among other things, the shed blood of Jesus Christ does much the same for us spiritually, only in a much more profound way. As Hebrews 9:22 clearly states, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness [of sins].”

 

The writings from other apostles made the same affirmation. The apostle Peter wrote, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

 

And the apostle John explained what it means to accept by faith and act upon what Jesus did in becoming the substitutionary atonement for our sins: “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

 

We could cite many similar passages from the New Testament, but during worship services this Easter we’ll likely hear many hymns that underscore the incomparable, life-changing impact of Jesus’ shed blood to ensure our forgiveness, redemption, and restoration into an everlasting relationship with God.

 

One of them, written in the late 1800s by Lewis Edgar Jones, is called “There Is Power in the Blood.” Its first verse and chorus offer this assurance:

“Would you be free from the burden of sin?

There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;

Would you o’er evil a victory win? 

There’s wonderful power in the blood.

 

There is power, power, wonder-working power 

In the blood of the Lamb….”

 

Gospel singer and songwriter Bill Gaither has written numerous hymns about the life-giving, cleansing blood of Jesus. One called “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood” might startle our sensibilities if we didn’t understand what Christ did for us, long before any of us had committed our first sin. It starts off:

“There is a fountain filled with blood

Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;

And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,

Lose all their guilty stains….”

 

Another of Gaither’s hymns reminds us:

“What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

Oh, precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow….”

 

There are so many other hymns and songs that address this theme, but a more recently recorded praise song, “The Blood,” tells why it’s essential to always remember what only Jesus’ blood can do for us:

“Everything changed

It’s getting harder to recognize

The person I was 

Before I encountered Christ

I don’t walk like I used to

I don’t talk like I used to

I’ve been washed from the inside out.

 

Hallelujah, hallelujah

I know it was the blood

Could’ve only been the blood….”

 

Is Christianity a bloody religion? Not exactly. In reality, it’s a relationship – a relationship with God made possible for each of us solely because of the blood Christ shed on our behalf. His blood cleanses us from all sin, giving us access to the holy, perfect God.

The Difference Between a Fan and a Follower

Fans are a fickle lot, especially in the world of sports. If we were to look up the word “fickle” in a dictionary, I suspect we’d find a photo of a crazed sports fan next to the definition. That’s because the hot and cold of rapidly changing weather has nothing on the fluctuating temperatures of ‘love you one day, hate you the next’ football, basketball, baseball, soccer or hockey fans.

 

It’s all about expectations. Fans expect their heroes to deliver triumphs without fail, whether it’s a single game or entire season. Failure to do so runs the risk of incurring the wrath of displeased fans.

 

We find this same phenomenon in the spiritual realm. Years ago, Kyle Idleman wrote a book called Not a Fan, differentiating people who are “fans” of Jesus Christ from those who are genuine followers. Fans, according to Idleman, like to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it demands sacrifice. Followers, however, are fully committed to Christ, no matter the cost.

 

With Palm Sunday coming up, the gospel accounts of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem at the start of Passover week are instructive. They show the sharp distinction between His fans and followers. For centuries the Jews had been anticipating the arrival of the Messiah. Most were expecting a liberator, a strong military leader to deliver them from Roman rule, similar to the revolt of 167-160 B.C., led by the Maccabees against Greek oppression. 

 

Word had spread that Jesus, whom many people were starting to regard as the promised Messiah, was approaching Jerusalem. The throngs of Jews who had gathered in the city were giddy with excitement. We’re told, “A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!’ ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Hosanna in the highest!’” (Matthew 21:8-9).

 

There was no official flag of Israel back then, but the palm branches were widely recognized as the symbol for the chosen people of God. They were ‘waving the flag’ in hopes of Jesus’ establishing a kingdom that would cast out the Romans.

 

Some in the crowd likely felt surprised Jesus didn’t arrive riding a warhorse or armed for battle. Instead, He was riding a lowly donkey. Their enthusiasm must have been tempered by confusion. They were looking for a militaristic leader, a roaring lion; instead, they were staring at the Lamb of God, unaware He was preparing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their sins.

 

Pastor and Bible teacher Alistair Begg offers this description: "Christ did not enter Jerusalem as a conquering nationalist, riding a chariot; He came as a peace-bringing internationalist, seated humbly on a donkey. We try to create a Jesus who will fulfill our expectations (as the cheering crowd did then). We want peace, comfort, prosperity – an earthly kingdom. It is not that our expectations are too big – they are too small. It is not about us, but Jesus and His eternal Kingdom.” 

 

Over the next several days there was a dramatic shift in attitude among those “fans” of Jesus. They realized He had no intention of overthrowing Roman rule. Instead, He took on the religious establishment, denouncing the desecration of the temple in Jerusalem. “He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ‘It is written,’ He said to them, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers’” (Matthew 21:12-13).

 

Like disillusioned sports fans who turn against a coach or star player who doesn’t perform to their liking, the Jews in Jerusalem were deciding this Jesus wasn’t living up to their vision of what the Messiah would be. In fact, after Jesus’ sham trial based on false accusations, Pontius Pilate, who didn’t understand what all the fuss was about, gave the riled-up crowd an opportunity to see Jesus freed:

“So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “'Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas [a notorious and murderous prisoner], or Jesus who is called Christ?'” (Matthew 27:17). At the urging of the chief priests and religious elders, the people repeatedly shouted concerning Jesus, “Crucify Him!” (Matthew 27:23).

 

In less than a week, the ‘fans’ who had adoringly welcomed Jesus had turned to the dark side. Like jaded sports fans angry because their team had lost the championship game – but much worse – the Jews in Jerusalem revealed their true convictions. They couldn’t wait to see Him hanging from a cross.

 

As Holy Week is upon us, it’s worth considering: Do we trust in the Lord only when He meets our expectations, answers our prayers, and does what we want Him to do? Or are we determined to follow Him even at the cost of our lives, if necessary, as did most of Jesus’ disciples after His resurrection? Today in many parts of the world men, women and children are being martyred for their faith. If it came down to it, would we be willing to do the same? Or are we just “fans” of Christ?

It Can Take Time to Connect the Dots

Did you ever play “connect the dots” as a child? Maybe you had an activities book with pages for coloring, word-finds, tic-tac-toe and other games. You’d turn to a page with an incomplete illustration; to determine what the object was, you’d draw lines to link the numbered dots. It might turn out to be a duck, a donkey, the Eiffel Tower, or an ice cream cone. You didn’t know what it was until you’d connected all the dots.

 

Life can be like that. As we’re going through it, it might seem like a random assortment of twists and turns, exits and on-ramps, with some unknown destination. It seems confusing as we plod through life’s circumstances one day at a time, but through the beauty of hindsight we can glance backward and find order in the chaos.

 

Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computers, once observed about the course life takes, "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So, you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future." 

 

Have you ever felt that way? I know I have. A description for much of my life, particularly my working career, could be, “You can’t get there from here. You have to go someplace else first.” I was born in Germany, where my father was stationed in the U.S. Army. We traveled to the United States by ship and eventually settled in New Jersey. After high school I attended college in Texas, then transferred to a university in Ohio to study journalism. 

 

My 10-year career as a newspaper editor took me from a community newspaper in Ohio to a suburban newspaper in Pennsylvania, back to the Ohio newspaper, and finally to Texas. Next, I moved my family to Chattanooga, where I joined the staff of a Christian ministry, and 17 years later, a sister ministry with an international focus. After three years I became part of the team for a non-profit based in Atlanta. Can you see the convoluted path my career has taken?

 

All I can say in summary is that God has done “immeasurably more than all [I could] ask or imagine…” (Ephesians 3:20). During this journey of more than 50 years, some of the changes I made didn’t make a lot of sense. However, as Jobs said, even though I couldn’t connect the dots looking forward, I now can connect them looking backward.

 

As Christians all around the world prepare for the annual observances of Good Friday and Easter, we might apply the same “connecting the dots” principle to what we now know about Jesus Christ. The Bible’s Old Testament contains numerous prophecies about the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ, all made hundreds, even thousands of years before God took on flesh and invaded this world. Here’s a handful of examples:

 

From the prophet Micah we read, “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth from Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity” (Micah 5:2). Jesus, of course, was born in Bethlehem.

 

The prophet Isaiah prophesied, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). In Matthew 1:18-23 and Luke 1:26-35 we read about a virgin, Mary, who was pledged to marry Joseph. The angel Gabriel tells her that God has chosen her to be mother to the Son of God, and the passage states, “…they will call Him ‘Immanuel’ – which means, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23).

 

Isaiah 9:1-7 is one of the longest prophecies in the Old Testament, describing Jesus’ ministry centered in Galilee. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned…. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.”

 

Jesus’ crucifixion was prophesied in Psalm 22:14-16, “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me…. Dogs have surrounded me, a band of evildoers has encircled me; they have pierced my hands and my feet…. They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” Zechariah 12:10 says, “…They look on me, the one they have pierced….”

 

The crucifixion accounts are included in each of the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. What’s especially interesting about the Old Testament crucifixion prophecies is they were made hundreds of years before the Romans invented that heinous, excruciating form of execution.

 

And Christ’s resurrection from the dead – also reported in each of the gospels – was prophesied in Psalm 16:9-10, “Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices…because You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.”

I wonder, as these prophecies were being made, if the prophets had any idea of how they would be fulfilled by Jesus in such spectacular fashion. Those men of old might have struggled to “connect the dots,” but we can today as we look backward with 20:20 vision through the pages of history.