Refusing to Let Familiarity Breed Complacency

A centuries-old adage declares “familiarity breeds contempt.” This essentially means the more time spent with someone or something the easier it is to become aware of faults and deficiencies, even to the point of becoming resentful or scornful. Upon closer inspection, warts aren’t all that attractive. 

 

I’d propose a corollary to that saying: Familiarity breeds complacency. For a simple example, consider the human thumb. Known scientifically as the “opposable thumb,” it’s distinctive because when the thumb is placed opposite the fingers on the same hand, it allows us to grasp, handle and manipulate objects. Pretty cool, but when was the last time you said, ‘Thank God for my thumbs’?

Years ago, I gained a new appreciation for my right thumb. Heavy traffic I was driving in suddenly came to a stop. Looking in my rearview mirror, I saw the car in back of mine approaching much too fast. Unable to move out of the way, I did the only thing I could think of in that instant. I hit the car horn as hard as I could – with my thumb. The vehicle behind me came to a screeching halt, but my thumb screamed with pain. I had sprained it in the process.

 

Over the next several weeks while my thumb was healing, even the most mundane tasks proved challenging: Turning a doorknob, opening a soft drink bottle, picking things up. My complacency toward my thumb because of lifelong familiarity quickly dissipated. My appreciation level for having opposable thumbs soared.

 

Sadly, something similar to this happens in many marriages. When couples marry, they excitedly exchange “I do’s” – public declarations of their commitment to one another. As the years pass, however, the devotion and fervor they felt in the beginning fades. They become “used to one another” and start taking one another for granted, becoming complacent.

 

If we’re not careful, we can experience the complacency of familiarity with careers, getting an education, pursuing hobbies, even with our faith. 

 

Part of the problem is short memories. We forget why we felt so enthused initially. What if husbands and wives annually on their anniversaries would repeat their vows as a reminder of their promises before God? It could also help to revisit why they decided to get married in the first place, recognizing what was so special about the person they pledged to share a lifetime with. Chances are those qualities are still there; they’re just buried under a pile of complacency.

 

The phenomenon of spiritual complacency is addressed often in the Bible. The Israelites had a special knack for forgetting the blessings God had bestowed on them, starting with their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. This is one reason so much emphasis was placed on memorizing the holy writings. Annual festivals – including the Feasts of Unleavened Bread, Harvest, and Ingathering – were celebrated each year to help them remember what the Lord had done for them.  

 

In Psalm 119:11, the psalmist writes, “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” By “hiding” the Scriptures in our hearts, we not only remember God’s commands, but also His promises, principles for everyday living, and the great things He has done.

 

The New Testament gives us many reminders to help us in keeping fresh what can become so familiar. At this season of the year, much is preached and written about the life, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We could easily say, ‘Oh, I’ve heard that before – many times.’ Maybe, but the truths, realities and ramifications of Jesus’ sacrificial death, the empty tomb and His being raised from the dead are far too important for us to neglect through complacency.

 

We’re exhorted in Hebrews 12:1-3, “let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

 

The so-called “Christian life” isn’t easy, contrary to what some would want us to believe. And our contemporary culture is showing increasing animosity toward Christianity and the One who declared, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

 

If we’re followers of Jesus, we must beware of the trap of letting familiarity with our faith fall into complacency. As Ephesians 1:3 admonishes, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” By striving to keep our faith invigorated, we’ll never grow tired of reveling in each of our spiritual blessings.

This Easter Season, What Will We Do with Jesus?

Do you know any “groupies”? We don’t hear the term as much these days, but there have always been folks who were more than avid fans of singers, bands or other types of entertainers. With an almost fanatical obsession, they go out of their way to attend the concerts and performances of their “idols” as often as they can. Perhaps at one time or another you’ve been one of them?

Being in the midst of the Lenten season, with Palm Sunday coming up, followed by Good Friday and Easter, it seems appropriate to give some special consideration to the One who’s the focus of this special season, Jesus Christ. Can you believe He also had His groupies?

 

Almost from the start of His public ministry, Jesus became one of those individuals who attracted devoted fans, some who were genuinely touched by His teachings and others who were simply curious, or wanted to witness firsthand one of the miracles they had heard He was performing. Everywhere people were talking about Him. Whenever they heard reports that Jesus was coming their region, crowds flocked to be near Him. Like lost sheep, they wanted to know who He was, what He had to say, and what He would do. Jesus, we might say, was the hottest ticket in town.

 

But fans can be very fickle, whether they’re following a celebrated entertainer, a sports team, or even politicians. All gung-ho one day, but angry and disenchanted the next. Perhaps you’ve experienced that yourself. The ardor exhibited by many of Jesus’ followers proved short-lived as well. If He failed to meet their expectations or didn’t tell them what they wanted to hear, they turned on Him. 

 

This is why Luke 4:28 tells us, “[they] drove Him out of the town…so that they could throw Him down the cliff.” They tried, but that didn’t happen. The passage goes on, “But He walked right through the crowd and went on His way.” Jesus had avoided what the old TV comedy show “Laugh-In” called, “the flying fickle finger of fate.” He simply moved on to another town.

 

In another of the gospels we read that after Jesus had made some difficult pronouncements, “From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him” (John 6:66). In their eyes, Jesus went from hero to zero. Folks can be quite fickle if their ears you do not tickle.

 

“Well, I would never do that!” some might argue defensively. That’s easy to say when things are going well, but what about when things aren’t so good, when we’re confronted with unexpected challenges or adversity in any of its many unpleasant forms. And our prayers seem to go unanswered, as if Jesus doesn’t care. What do we do with Him then?

 

We know from the Scriptures that Jesus proved to be many things: preacher and teacher, prophet, liberator, healer, and restorer. He’s all of that – and much more. He willingly went to the cross, died for our sins, was buried, and then came back to life so He could prove to be our Savior, Redeemer and Lord. In His own words, Jesus demonstrated He is indeed, “the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25).

 

Sounds like good news, right! But we find a word of caution early in John’s gospel: “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). Salvation – forgiveness of our sins, redemption and an eternal relationship with God – can’t be earned. It’s a gift, totally unmerited and undeserved. But there’s one “condition” – this gift must be received. Have we truly done that – received Jesus Christ and believed in His name, not just intellectually but trusting Him with our whole heart? 

 

It’s easy to become satisfied with religion – doing good things and saying the right words – without really letting Jesus to have all of us. But He doesn’t want just part of us. He doesn’t want our “religion.” He wants to have an unending, life-changing relationship with us.

So, the question that confronted the hot-and-cold multitudes of Jesus’ day remains the same question we must answer today: What will we do with Jesus? Are we just fans, or are we true followers?  

What Was Understood When Jesus Said, ‘It Is Finished’?

Just a few weeks ago Christians around the world completed their annual observance of Holy Week, commemorating the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, followers of Christ understand that the significance of Good Friday and Easter has no real season. The impact of what those days represent, individually and collectively, is experienced 365 days a year.

 

I’d go so far as to say that all of humanity ultimately hinges on three small words, the last ones uttered by Jesus on the cross that gruesome yet glorious day: “It is finished” (John 19:30). That is an English translation of the Greek word tetelestai, which also can be translated “it is completed” or “paid in full.” 

 

After uttering those words, certainly in excruciating pain as the last bit of strength oozed from His body, Jesus bowed His head and died. With the benefit of historical hindsight, we now know what He meant by that simple declaration, but I wonder how those words were understood by those who heard them on that day 2,000 years ago.

 

For the Roman guards charged with nailing Jesus to the cross and then lifting it for Him to hang there for hours, they probably interpreted the meaning as what seemed obvious – He was breathing His last.

 

For the Pharisees and other religious leaders who had orchestrated the rigged trial and trumped-up charges that would justify Christ’s crucifixion, hearing “It is finished” probably meant the threat that “troublemaker” Jesus had posed to their prominence, prestige and authority had been put to an end. They must have been thinking, ”Good riddance!”

 

For Jesus’ followers, who had devoted the previous three years to joining Him in ministry and leaving behind their families and livelihoods, those words must have sounded like the crushing climax to their hopes and dreams. Their charismatic, miracle-working leader hung lifeless as blood continued to seep from His body. The great cause He had personified seemingly had come to a tragic conclusion.

 

Thankfully, they all were wrong. When Jesus declared, “It is finished,” in no way did He mean defeat or failure. Rather, He was announcing that His mission was complete. His ultimate purpose, to become the atoning sacrifice for sin and make it possible for broken, sinful people to establish personal relationships with the holy, righteous God, had been accomplished.

 

This is the message throughout the New Testament. As the apostle Paul asserted in Romans 8:1-3, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.”

 

In another New Testament letter, writing to believers in the ancient church of Corinth, itself a wicked, sin-infested city, Paul said, “And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).

 

At times, we all have seen our own hopes and aspirations dissolve, falling short of much-desired goals. With dismay and even despair we’ve thought, “It’s over. I’m done.” And we struggled to pick ourselves up from the heap of humiliation to try again, hoping for more success the next time. 

 

But for Jesus there was no need for a “next time.” For Him, “It is finished” meant He had provided the ultimate remedy for sin’s consequences and death would be dealt its ultimate defeat. On the third day, the empty tomb would serve as vivid, tangible evidence of that. Because of that reality, we can cling to this wonderful promise: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Thank God we can live according to His perspective and not our own. For us, because of what Jesus has done,  “It is finished” means it’s only just begun. 

The Day That’s ‘Good’ Because of What Happened Next

Christmas has given us Santa Claus, reindeer, festive lights and candy canes. Easter brings us the Easter Bunny, Easter eggs, beautiful flowers and jellybeans. But what both annual holidays have in common is Jesus Christ. One commemorates His birth; the other celebrates His resurrection. Without the latter, Easter, there would be no reason for the former, Christmas.

 

When I was a boy, my parents would take me to church on Good Friday, where we would sing mournful hymns and hear a somber message. Two days later we’d return to church for Easter, where hymns of joy and triumph would be sung and an uplifting sermon would be spoken.

I vividly recall one Good Friday, I might have been eight or nine, sitting quietly in the pew pondering. If I had been a character in a comic strip, there might have been a question mark hovering over my head. I remember turning to my mother and asking her, “If this is the day Jesus was crucified, why do we call it ‘Good Friday’?” In my mind the thought kept recurring – what’s so good about being crucified?

 

My mom, even though she liked to play albums of hymns by the likes of Perry Como and Tennessee Ernie Ford and proudly possessed a lighted reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous “The Lord’s Supper,” was hardly a theologian. So, she suggested we ask “the Reverend” after the service was over.

 

That sounded like a good idea. As we slowly shuffled toward the church doors to leave, I knew the minister would be there greeting the congregants as they departed. When we reached the door and he gripped my hand, I popped the same question. 

 

Apparently, he didn’t view this as an important, teachable moment, because I don’t remember him giving me much of an authoritative answer. I know he mumbled something, but he definitely didn’t suggest anything like, “Son, that’s a great question. Why don’t you ask your parents to bring you to my office this week where we can talk about it?”

 

It wasn’t until many years later that I discovered the answer to my youthful question. Good Friday isn’t “good” because a sinless, blameless Jesus Christ was wrongfully scourged, then forced to carry His own cross to be executed in perhaps the most horrific manner ever devised by humankind. It’s good because on that cross He became the propitiation – the absolute substitutionary atonement – for our sins. 

 

The words of 2 Corinthians 5:15,21 express it perfectly: “And He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf…. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Try chewing on that for a while.

 

Because of this, the apostle Paul could announce to believers in the ancient church of Rome, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). As a good friend of mine used to say whenever he spoke, “Jesus took the rap for you and me.”

 

In isolation, the events of Good Friday weren’t good: Angry, spiteful and frightened religious leaders bringing trumped-up charges against an individual who threatened their positions of power and authority. A spineless Roman official, Pontius Pilate, willing to sacrifice his conscience and sense of rightness to appease an increasingly hostile mob. Torture, mocking, and then the crucifixion Jesus endured, the Son of God crying out in His last breaths, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46).

 

And yet even then, Jesus’ heart of love and compassion could not be defeated. He pleaded, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Who could do that? Only the incarnate God, in His limitless and unfathomable mercy and grace.

 

If things had stopped at that point, we’d have no Good Friday. Maybe history might have even forgotten that moment. However, on the morning after the Sabbath, the greatest event in the history of the world occurred. 

 

The stone placed across the tomb’s opening to “secure” it had been supernaturally rolled away to reveal what lay inside – no body, only no longer needed burial cloths. As angels proclaimed to the women who had come intending to minister to their Lord’s body, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He is risen!” (Luke 24:5-6).

 

The fact of His resurrection is miraculous enough. But because Jesus lives today, He offers new life to any and all who will put their trust in Him. Amazingly the Scriptures declare, “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).

Because of the glorious celebration of Easter and all it represents, we also can rejoice in what the Lord did for us on that truly Good Friday. And we can affirm, "He is risen; He is risen indeed!"

The Saddest, Most Silent of All Saturdays

Coming up this week are two important days on the Christian calendar, Good Friday and Easter. But little thought is given to the day in between, a day we could call Silent Saturday.

 

Jesus Christ, the one who had performed miracles, including healing the sick and lame, raising the dead, feeding multitudes, walking on water, and teaching radical truths about God, had been crucified. His closest disciples, who had left their comfortable, accustomed lives to follow Him, had lost their leader.

The range of emotions they must have experienced was vast: anger, grief, confusion, disbelief. Guilt would have been another. One of the 12, Judas Iscariot the traitor, who had turned Jesus over to the Jewish leaders and Roman authorities, had taken his own life by hanging from a tree. 

 

But each of the remaining disciples, in his own way, also had betrayed Jesus, whom they had embraced as their Lord. When He was arrested, they all had scattered. Two of the disciples, John and Peter, did follow the procession after the arrest furtively, watching the mock trial proceedings from a distance. Peter, afraid of what would happen if his association with Jesus were exposed, vocally denied Him three times when asked if he was one of Jesus’ disciples.

 

Can you imagine what was going through their minds and hearts on the day after Jesus’ death and burial in a rich man’s tomb? Surely there was no laughter. There might have been quiet tears, but most likely there was wordless despair as their hopes and dreams seemingly lay in shambles. After the horrors of that Friday, with the banging of dagger-sized nails being hammered into flesh, cries of pain and anguish from Jesus and the two criminals crucified on His left and right, and the loud weeping of the women who had followed and served Him, the next day must have been dreadfully silent.

 

The Scriptures tell us Jesus’ most dear followers had gathered together “with doors locked for fear of the Jews” (John 20:19). “What do we do now?” was likely a question repeating in each of their minds. For three years they had literally taken marching orders from Jesus, traveling to various parts of Judea; now the leader of their march had been slain.

 

In the gospels we read nothing specifically about how the disciples spent that Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. The only thing we know for certain is that Pontius Pilate, the Roman leader who had authorized Jesus’ execution, decided to take action to ensure that the body of Christ would be kept secure.

 

“The chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. ‘Sir,’ They said, ‘we remember that while He was alive that deceiver said, “After three days I will rise again.” So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that He has been raised from the dead. The last deception will be worse than the first.’”

 

Pilate concurred, ordering, “‘Take a guard. Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.’ So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard” (Matthew 27:62-66).

 

Other than that brief, factual report, the Scriptures tell us nothing else about that silent Saturday. Each of the gospel accounts jumps directly from the details of the crucifixion and burial to “the first day of the week” (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16,2, Luke 24:1, John 20:1). So, we’re left to our imaginations as to what was happening in the lives of Peter, John, Andrew, Matthew and the others.

 

Thankfully, as somber and silent as that Sabbath must have been, it was like God pressing the heavenly pause button. Because the next day – Sunday – would be filled with shouts, cries of jubilation and celebration unlike anything ever witnessed in the world before. 

 

In fact, it was while the disciples were huddling behind closed, locked doors that Jesus suddenly appeared to them, declaring, “‘Peace be with you!’ After He said this, He showed them His hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord” (John 20:19-20).

Best of all, that’s not the end of the story. In fact, it’s just the beginning. Which explains why the words from the now-famous sermon by pastor S.M. Lockridge resonate so strongly and loudly today: “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s Coming.” 

The Long Weekend That Changed Everything

Another Easter weekend is upon us, starting with the somber Good Friday observance and concluding with the celebration of Easter. Can you imagine what the world would be like – indeed, what life would be like – if Jesus Christ had not come? If He had not be crucified? If He had not risen from the grave?

Some “what if” ramifications immediately come to mind: There’d be no Christmas. Or Good Friday. Or Easter. Calendars wouldn’t be divided according to B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini).

 

But those are just the start. We wouldn’t have Jesus’ teachings, such as the “Golden Rule” – “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:31) – or His declaration of the second greatest commandment, to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31). Who would have told us, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35)?

 

We wouldn’t have His teachings and parables, which not only imparted wonderful life principles but also enriched our language with such common phrases as the “good Samaritan,” “prodigal son,” and “born again.” There would be no references to “walking on water,” “doubting Thomas,” “salt of the earth,” “light of the world,” or “judge not lest you be judged.”

 

Some of the greatest works of art never would have been created – Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, “The Last Supper,” Michelangelo’s “Pieta,” and many others depicting the life and passion of Christ. Crosses, prominently displayed at churches around the world and worn as symbols of faith by Jesus’ fervent followers, likely would have had no meaning.

 

The significance of Jesus’ life is beyond measure: His feedings of the multitudes. Changing water into wine and raising Lazarus from the dead. His unforgettable “sermon on the mount,” including the Beatitudes and its paradoxical declarations that “the poor in spirit…those who mourn…the meek…the merciful…the peacemakers” and others are “blessed.” The name Judas wouldn’t have become synonymous with betrayal. The Virgin Mary wouldn’t be revered by millions around the globe.

 

As impressive as all of these are, they barely begin to answer the question, “What if He had not come?” Because the influence of Jesus’ life, teachings, death, burial, resurrection and ascension transcends the physical world. His most life-changing, transformational impact is found deeply rooted in the unseen spiritual realm. 

 

Countless books have been written about this, but consider the following: Were it not for Jesus, what definitive answers would we have for the problems of sin, guilt, justice, and ultimately, separation from God? Where would we find the capacity for genuine, complete forgiveness? How could we experience the hope (not “hope-so”) of eternal life, the assurance that we’re not moving from the land of the living to the land of the dead, but from the land of the dying to the land of those who live eternally?

 

Central to the Gospel is Jesus’ familiar promise of John 3:16, “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.” As the apostle Paul asserted in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we still sinners, Christ died for us.”

 

But we know that Jesus’ death – commemorated on Good Friday – was not His final act. As each of the gospels confirms, He arose on the third day, as He had promised. When Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body with traditional burial spices, they encountered not a corpse but an angel, who declared, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said” (Matthew 28:5-6).

 

How important is this claim? Paul didn’t mince words when he stated, “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins…. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” But then he gave an immediate reminder, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:17-22).

 

No leader of any other religion or belief system could make such a claim. As the old hymn affirms, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone.”

 

Best of all, we don’t have to wait until the moment of death to enjoy the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection. When He ascended from earth, He left His Holy Spirit not only to guide His people, but also to live in them: “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy…through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). Paul in Galatians 2:20 expresses it this way: “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 loves me and gave himself for me.” 

Literally hundreds of other Bible passages support and expand on these truths. Some might immediately come to your mind. The bottom line is this: Jesus did come. He was crucified. He did rise from the dead. And to this day, millions of men, women and children can experience the assurance we find in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” And in response, we can all add a hearty “Hallelujah!” 

The First One to Know Was … a Woman

Over the next several days, we’ll be observing Good Friday and Easter, commemorating the two most pivotal, critical days in Christendom. Without both of these days, we would have no reason for Christmas, or even Lent or Ash Wednesday. Without the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and His resurrection from the dead, why would we care to celebrate His birth?

 

The implications of both Good Friday and Easter are almost limitless. And many pastors and theologians far more qualified than I have spoken and written eloquently about them. But as a firsthand beneficiary of Jesus’ sacrificial death and His resurrection – receiving forgiveness for my sins, an eternal relationship with God, a new life spiritually and the assurance of life after this one – there’s no way I can give these days a simple nod and then move on to some other topic.

 

However, with countless books, sermons, songs and even poems having been written about these holiest of holy days, with more surely to come, what is there to add to the discussion? Perhaps nothing, but there’s one aspect that’s not so often presented. It’s this: that the first person to know about Jesus’ triumph over death, and sin, was…a woman.

 

Matthew 28:1-10 tells about Mary Magdalene, a woman out of whom Jesus had cast out many demons, and “the other Mary” going to the tomb, planning to anoint the body with burial spices. Instead, they found the stone in front of the tomb rolled away, with no body inside, and only “an angel of the Lord” to greet them. “The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell the disciples….’ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples….”

The gospels offer somewhat different eyewitness perspectives of what happened next, but in John 20:10-18 we read about Jesus meeting Mary of Magdala as she wept outside the tomb, still not comprehending what had occurred. Initially mistaking Him for the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you put him, and I will get him.” Then Jesus uttered one word: “‘Mary.’ She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means Teacher).” She knew indeed, as the angel had declared, “He is risen, just as He said.”

 

What’s the big deal about that? It’s especially significant for two reasons. First, in those days women in Israel had little value or status in society. We can complain about that all we want, saying how wrong it was to denigrate women, but it’s the historical truth. Yet, God chose to entrust a woman with the most important news in history. Second, and closely related, this quickly debunks the claim by some that in Christianity, women are devalued, treated as second-class citizens.

 

Jesus had many followers, with 12 disciples accompanying Him almost 24/7. One of them, Judas Iscariot, had hanged himself after betraying Jesus, but 11 of the men remained. Two of them, Peter and John, had run to the tomb to see for themselves that the tomb was empty. Why, in God’s sovereign plan, was a woman the first to not only find the empty tomb in which Jesus’ crucified body had been placed, but also to physically see the resurrected Christ?

 

I believe this was a purposeful, counter-cultural act designed to clearly demonstrate God’s equal value and love for both men and women. As it says in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you all are one in Christ Jesus.”

 

Looking at Jesus’ ministry, we see how women figured prominently in many ways. His earthly mother, Mary, was given the unique role of bringing the Christ Child into the world. Jesus’ first miracle, at the request of His mother, was turning water into wine at a wedding celebration. Sisters Mary and Martha were given special roles of service and given special honor. 

 

A woman regarded by all as “unclean” because of an “issue of blood” that had plagued her for 12 years, was miraculously healed by Jesus. Then He brought back to life the daughter of a synagogue leader, and later raised a widow’s dead son. When He encountered a Samaritan woman at a well near Sychar, Jesus told her all about her troubled past, and offered her unconditional forgiveness. 

 

Throughout His time on earth, Jesus gave inordinate attention to women in a society that regarded them as little more than property. His time started with a young woman named Mary, and His resurrection, signaling His atoning sacrifice for the sins of all who would receive Him as Savior and Lord, was first proclaimed by another Mary. In some respects, Jesus can be regarded as the first feminist. So it truly can and should be a happy Easter – for all!

Celebrating an Easter Unlike Any Other

Almost forgotten in the non-stop coverage of COVID-19 is the soon-arriving celebration of Easter. In years past, people rushed around, fussing over such things as Easter bonnets and new Sunday outfits. Easter egg hunts were scheduled, and parents were “consulting” with the Easter bunny about what to leave in their children’s baskets. Then, once we got past the commercialism, we began remembering that  Easter is really about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This year, despite the hopeful optimism of some of our government leaders, it’s likely the doors of most churches will be closed, with congregants having to settle for online Easter observances. For many followers of Jesus, Easter without physically attending a worship service is almost unimaginable. How can we worship without doing so in “the house of God”?

Not to minimize the value and experience of joining with other believers to celebrate Jesus’ victory over sin and death. Some of the most powerful moments in my spiritual life have occurred on Easter, not only singing (as best I could) the traditional hymns but also hearing talented vocalists perform such selections as “We Shall Behold Him” or “Rise Again.”

However, there’s good news. The Scriptures clearly and repeatedly assert that we don’t need to go to a building, or even be in the physical presence of other followers of Jesus, to “go to church.” Because, we are told, He lives within us. Consider the following:

“Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). There was a time when I foolishly believed that when I entered a church building, I was entering into the presence of God – and that when I exited the building, I also was leaving His presence. This passage assures us this is not the case.

Another verse says much the same: “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19). So in a real sense, in normal times when we can “go to church” together, it amounts to an assembly of “temples of the Holy Spirit.”

Even better, we don’t have to be around others who profess their allegiance to Christ to live as He would want us to do. The fact that He lives in each of us through His Spirit means we don’t need to rely on positive peer pressure for living rightly. As Romans 8:9 says, “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.” As Jesus promised, “surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Hopefully, once the coronavirus is under control and a vaccine has been developed, we’ll enjoy the delights of joining with fellow believers in rejoicing over Jesus’ resurrection. But even now we can reflect on what that means for us, both for the present and for eternity:

“If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised…. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins…. But Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:13-20).

There’s more to the story. In a time when the specter of death seems ever-present, we have the promise – the absolute confidence – that for all who have received Jesus Christ, physical death is not the end. It’s only a pause before a new beginning:

“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that was written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’

‘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” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).

Even if our contact is only through words appearing on the screen of a computer or some other electronic device, let me extend to you a greeting that Christians have shared through many centuries: “Happy Easter! He is risen! He is risen indeed!”

Easter: Where Sunset and Sunrise Intersect

Sunset, captured by Amy Tamasy.

With Christmas memories quickly fading, we’re entering a new season of holidays that soon will include Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Independence Day. This Sunday we’ll be observing what I believe is the most important of them all: Easter.

There’s no holiday like it, marking two events upon which the past and future of humanity pivot – the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, which we commemorate on Good Friday; and His resurrection, which is what Easter is all about. It’s almost like a moment when sunset and sunrise intersect.

The magnitude of these two days is described in the apostle Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, in which he focuses on the impact not only of Jesus’ death on the cross, but also His resurrection the following Sunday. He declares, “…if Christ is not raised, your faith is futile, you are still in your sins…. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:17-20).

These were some of the crosses on display 
in Assisi, Italy. The favorite cross 
of St. Francis, however, looks like 
a plain T.

Last year my wife and I joined a group touring many interesting places in Italy, including Rome, the Vatican and Assisi, home of St. Francis. Crosses were in evidence just about everywhere. Many of them displayed the crucified Christ. But the good news is that Jesus is no longer on the cross, nor is He in the tomb where His body was taken after the crucifixion. 

The cross – and the tomb – are empty. And because of that, Christ’s followers also have the assurance that death is not the end, our final destination. As Paul wrote later in the same chapter, “…Death has been swallowed up in victory. ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’…But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).

Recently I heard an interesting statement from a man who had been raised in a religious tradition in which the crucifix is a prominent icon: “Every time I went to pray, the dude never came off the cross. I never knew who Jesus was.” Later this individual had a truly life-changing encounter with Jesus, the living Christ who offers new life to all who receive His gift of forgiveness and salvation. 

This man had realized that Jesus had been raised from the dead. Unlike leaders of other belief systems who died and remained dead – Muhammad, Buddha, Confucius, and others – only Christ overcame death and offers eternal life to those who believe in Him:

“The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:10-11).

Because of this, believers all around the world can celebrate Christ’s resurrection and rejoice in the blessed hope – the confident assurance and earnest expectation – that only He can provide. Just as Paul wrote, we too can rest in this promise: “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).

Happy Easter – happy Resurrection Sunday!

Experiencing the Spectrum for Easter

My wife and I had quite the spiritual day on Easter. It started with a worship service at our church, with a powerful, Christ-centered message. We followed that with lunch at a local park with one of our daughters and her family. Next we went to see the film, “I Can Only Imagine,” and finished off the day by watching the TV presentation of “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

The sermon addressed the “doubting Thomas” in all of us, exploring the primary causes of doubts about God – disappointments in life we tend to blame on Him; struggling with the seeming (but not actual) conflict between faith and reason; and our bent toward sinfulness, wanting to live our own way and deciding if we deny or ignore God’s existence, then it’s okay to do so.

It also considered the antidote for doubts, including evidence of Christ’s resurrection; willingness to believe (disbelief is more of a heart problem than a head problem); and ultimately, a genuine, personal encounter with Jesus. 

Even though I can still recall the days of my own disbelief and agnosticism, when I essentially acted as if I were my own god, now that I’ve known the Lord and experienced His work in my life for several decades, it’s increasingly hard to understand how anyone can live without Him.

Spending time with our children and grandchildren is a joy and privilege I admittedly take for granted too often. When I hear people beaming about becoming grandparents for the first time, my tendency is to think, “You think that’s something? We’ve got 12 of them, ranging from infancy to their 20’s. Not only that, but we have three great-grandkids, too. Top that!” I don’t say it aloud, but it’s crossed my mind a time or two.

The park outing was fun, and I was proud to pray for two of our granddaughters who were leaving for a mission trip the next morning. From experience, I knew that while God might use them to touch someone’s life, often the ones that benefit most are those taking the trip. Being exposed to how other people live, especially in other cultures and socio-economic environments, and seeing the Lord can work there, too, can be life-changing.

The film was based on the life of Bart Millard, lead singer and songwriter of the Christian musical group, MercyMe, and their hit song, “I Can Only Imagine.” Reception to the song, which ponders what it would be like to stand before God in Heaven, was phenomenal as it earned triple-platinum status in 2003. It continues to be a favorite for many today.

Millard drew inspiration for the song from the death of his father, who’d abused him severely as a child but became transformed, a totally new man, after committing his life to Jesus Christ before dying of pancreatic cancer. The film is a moving story of redemption, just the right type of movie to see on the day we celebrate Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to redeem all who come to Him by faith. 

As Isaiah 1:18 tells us, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Or to use a different metaphor, God excels at turning sows’ ears into silk purses.

Watching the NBC production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” took me back to my early adult years when it became both a popular film and best-selling album. At the time I was a “church-ian” – I believed in God and attended church sometimes, but I didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. I knew little about the Bible, so the liberties the songs take with the Scriptures were lost on me then. For instance, both Judas and Pontius Pilate come across as sympathetic characters for the most part, almost like victims of their circumstances rather than key players in the crucifixion story. That’s not how the Bible presents them.

And in portraying the relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene, the redeemed prostitute, there’s an inference some hanky-panky might have been going on. Again, totally contrary to what the Scriptures teach: “Therefore, since we have a great high priest…Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). 

But the performances by the singers, including John Legend, Sara Bareilles and, of all people, rocker Alice Cooper (who professes to be a devoted follower of Christ), were excellent. When I first saw the musical in the early ‘70s, theology wasn’t an issue for me. It did, however, have a positive impact, one that I suspect contributed to my later desire to read and study the Bible, and discover who this guy Jesus really was, and what He was all about.

My hope is that for some who viewed the TV rendition, it has the same effect on them. 

All in all, it was quite a Resurrection Sunday. A welcome reminder for me, and perhaps for many others, that “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). Not just Easter, but every day.

But What About Saturday?

Between the Cross and the empty tomb lies a silent
Saturday, the "day with no name."

Many of us are anticipating two central days on the Christian calendar, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Both represent pivotal events; in the absence of either there would be no Christianity, and we’d not designate our years according to B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini).

We know that the curiously named “Good Friday” marks the day of Jesus’ crucifixion, “good” because His death served as the atoning sacrifice to cover the sins of mankind. And Easter celebrates His resurrection, signifying Christ’s triumph over death and the demonstration that He was who He claimed to be – the Son of God – not just another dead prophet or religious leader.

But what about the day between Good Friday and Easter? It was Saturday, a day virtually ignored by Christian tradition that author Philip Yancey in his book, Grace Notes, calls “the day with no name.” For many of us, it’s merely a business-as-usual day, useful for household chores, working in the yard, or some form of recreation. Nothing more.

Typically we dismiss it from having any spiritual import. In fact, S.M. Lockridge presented a classic sermon called, “It’s Friday…But Sunday’s Comin'.” Author Tony Campolo drew from a similar message to write a book by the same name. Lockridge eloquently described the devastation of Friday and contrasted it with the delirious news of Sunday’s empty tomb and Christ’s return from the dead. But there is no mention of Saturday.

Consider, however, what that silent Saturday must have been like for Jesus’ followers. It would have been a day of despair, disillusionment and confusion. The wondrous, inspirational, often mysterious leader they’d followed for three years was dead, taking their hopes and aspirations with Him. How had it come to this? What would they do now?

The Bible says little about the in-between day, but as Yancey observes, much of human existence today is like that Saturday. “Human history grinds on,” he writes, “between the time of promise and fulfillment. It’s Saturday on planet Earth; will Sunday ever come?”

This questions nags at many of us. Even as we’re preparing to pause for a marvelous day of rejoicing – “Christ is risen – He is risen indeed!” – we find ourselves immersed in a world of pain and suffering. Disease, poverty, violence, natural disasters, hatred and strife, everyday realities that remain with us on Saturday, and the days after Easter.

Despite this, we can cope, because we have hope – earnest expectation, confident assurance – that the often dismal present will one day be replaced by a future that exceeds comprehension. As the apostle Paul wrote, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us…. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently” (Romans 8:18-25).

So as we prepare to ponder the somber message of Good Friday, soon followed by the glorious report of Easter, let’s all take heart as we stumble through the challenges of Saturday, “the day with no name.” We do so while “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (Titus 2:13).

Bad Day, Good Day, Best Day

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ll never forget the Good Friday I attended church with my mother when I was a boy and asked, “If Jesus was crucified on this day, why do we call it ‘Good Friday’? What’s good about it?”

Years later, I’ve learned there is a very good reason for calling the day we commemorate this week Good Friday, although when the events were unfolding, the only people who viewed it as good were the arrogant, self-righteous religious leaders. As they observed Jesus Christ hanging from the cross in excruciating pain, many of them probably were thinking – and saying – “Good riddance!”

For Jesus’ followers the day certainly didn’t seem good. Their leader was dying and they felt helpless to intervene. The cause they’d enlisted in seemed over. The day even turned into thick darkness from noon to 3 p.m. “Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land” (Matthew 27:45).

Then, shortly after uttering the sorrowful words, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me,” we’re told, “Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit” (Matthew 27:47-50). The cross and the nails had done their work, and the One the crowd had hailed just days before was dead.

But suddenly a bad day started turning into a good day. First, the thick veil that divided the Holy of Holies in the temple from the outer areas, restricting admittance only to the ordained priests, “was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:51). This fact, often glossed over in discussions of the crucifixion, was truly a miracle. It’s said the veil was so strong teams of horses could not pull it apart. And yet, at the precise moment Jesus died, it split from the top to its bottom, symbolically removing the barrier that denied common people direct access to God.

Later it would be written, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). No longer did everyday people have to rely on a human priest to serve as their intercessor with God. There was no longer a veil or any other kind of obstacle to keep unholy mankind from humbly approaching a holy God.

A centurion, having observed the manner in which Jesus died, as well as experiencing an earthquake and other unexplainable events concurrent with His death, declared, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54).

When Jesus’ body was mercifully buried in a tomb donated by a wealthy man, Joseph from the town of Arimathea, that Friday still seemed oppressively gloomy. But by Sunday, that horrific day had transformed into a very good Friday as the implications of Christ’s death were defined by His resurrection.

Romans 5:8 declares, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Had Jesus remained dead, His body continuing to lie in repose in that tomb, He would have been nothing more than another dead prophet. But that Sunday morning, which we commemorate on Easter, the tomb had been vacated.

An angel, reassuring two women who had gone to visit the tomb, made the astounding announcement that continues to echo today: “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said” (Matthew 28:5-6). Inside the tomb, the women found nothing except His burial clothes, neatly folded as if He were saying, “I don’t need these anymore.”

Because of this, unlike with leaders of every other religious movement who have died through the centuries, people who follow Jesus – commonly known as Christians – worship a risen, living Savior. And through the power of spiritual rebirth can state, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

That’s how a very bad day became a very good day, leading up to the best day – the day we now know and celebrate as Easter.

The Holiday Some People Love to Hate

As holidays go, it seems Easter occupies one of the bottom rungs on the marketing ladder. Sure, it has Easter bunnies, jellybeans and candy rabbits, but it definitely lacks the hype of Christmas, or even Thanksgiving.

Christmas has Santa Claus, reindeer, elves, greeting cards, wrapping paper, trees and tinsel, carols, TV specials, and a selling machine that now begins around the middle of September. Thanksgiving has turkey and dressing, pilgrims, pumpkin pie, parades, stomach-busting feasts, and football games.

By contrast, about all Easter really has is…Jesus Christ. And that’s as it should be.

Symbols that surround Easter – like three crosses on Calvary and an empty tomb – aren’t the stuff that make Madison Avenue ad agencies jump for joy, but for followers of Jesus they are indispensable elements of their faith. Without the cross and the vacated tomb representing the resurrected Christ, there would be no cause for either Christmas or Thanksgiving. At least not in a spiritual sense.

And maybe that’s why Easter will never rise to the top of the all-time holiday hits list.

Because there’s something about a cross, and a tomb that’s empty, and a resurrected Lord who declares, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Because when so many in the world argue, “Well, if there is a God, I believe there are many ways to God,” Jesus simply replies, “That’s not so.” Instead, He affirms, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

Because God says we need not fear death – with only one condition: Jesus. “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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 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).

My last post was about names and the power of names, ones that can evoke strong mental and emotional responses. The Bible asserts there is one name that defies comparison: “Therefore God exalted him (Jesus) to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:9).

What is the impact of this name, Jesus? The passage continues, “that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11).

To this some might state, “This doesn’t sound very inclusive!” Others might protest, “Where is the tolerance in that?”

The “tolerance” is in Jesus going to the cross, not for any wrong He had done, but for all of the wrongs – the sins – others had done. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). He literally hated the sin but loved the sinners, dying on our behalf.

And then, He offered not only forgiveness but also a transforming new life. “We were therefore buried with him in baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4).

So I’m glad Easter doesn’t rank with Christmas or even Thanksgiving in terms of commercial holidays. Because it’s about a gift, a reason for celebration that is priceless beyond anything this world could ever offer. Something that, sadly, some people so resent that they hate the day for what it means.

Easter commemorates the day when an angel proclaimed to the women who had come to visit the grave of Jesus that “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said” (Matthew 28:6).

And because of this, every man, woman and child who professes the name of Jesus – the entire worldwide body of Christ – can declare, “Hallelujah!”