The Cross We Can Wear Because of the Cross He Bore

Do you like wearing jewelry? I’m not big on jewelry – all I regularly wear are my wedding ring and a wristwatch. (My smartphone can give me the time, but old habits die hard.) However, I know for many folks, jewelry is essential to their wardrobe.

 

People wear all kinds of jewelry, for many different reasons: To accessorize or accent an outfit. As a show of affluence. (Professional athletes and their ‘bling’ immediately come to mind.) For sentimental reasons, such as wearing mom’s prize locket or dad’s old cufflinks. Or for symbolism. These could include a heart necklace, a bracelet received as a gift, a friendship ring, or even a cross.

Speaking of crosses, someone choosing to wear one, whether on a necklace, a bracelet, a ring or on a lapel is usually making a significant statement. It’s often a declaration of faith, but not always. I’ve seen celebrities wearing ornate, obviously expensive crosses whose demeanor and lifestyles hardly reflect genuine spiritual devotion. I’ve even occasionally seen famous individuals wearing an upside-down cross, which is a different kind of statement.

 

But have you ever seriously considered what wearing a cross communicates? For a moment, let’s jump into a mental time machine and journey 2,000 years into the past. The cross had been used as a form of execution by the Persians, Carthaginians and Romans, among others. It’s highly unlikely anyone in those days would have considered wearing anything resembling a cross, a commonly recognized instrument of death. Some of them had seen firsthand someone nailed to a cross, suffering a slow, agonizing death. The last thing they’d want was to display a reminder of that.

 

Okay, back to 2024. Instead of a cross, envision this: Someone wearing a necklace with the symbol of an electric chair hanging from it. Or earrings in the shape of a hangman’s noose. Or a brooch depicting a French guillotine.

 

That would be unthinkably gruesome, right? At least to any sane person. And yet, every day countless thousands, even millions of people intentionally and proudly wear crosses without a moment’s hesitation. What’s the difference?

 

It’s not some minor detail. It’s all the difference in the world. Because while electric chairs, nooses and guillotines all are devices intended to end lives, the cross – Jesus’ cross – stands for the end of death and the beginnings of real life. Consider what the Bible tells us:

 

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14). 

 

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:2-3).

 

“When you were dead in your sins…God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins…He took it all away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:13-15).

 

For some, however, the cross is nothing more than a meaningless symbol, an object of fantasy and fable. The Scriptures speak to this as well: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

 

As we’ve already noted, to wear any symbol representing an electric chair, a hangman’s noose or a guillotine would be reprehensible. But not the cross, despite the horrific, excruciating death Jesus Christ suffered on it. Because instead of utter defeat, it stands for the ultimate triumph over sin and death, along with the promise of forgiveness and eternal life.

 

Today we often see people wearing a crucifix that shows Jesus still on the cross. But the good news is that Jesus Christ is no longer on the cross, no longer in the grave. As the faithful have declared for centuries, “He is risen! He is risen indeed!”

 

And because of that we can 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).

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!"

Discovering the One Identity That Matters Most

Have you watched any of those crime dramas on TV – the ones with forensic pathologists doing extensive examinations of corpses seeking to determine, “Who is this person?” I find it interesting that whether we’re living or deceased, our identity is so integral to our existence.

 

Identity is a recurring theme these days, even dominating news reports at times. Debates abound about whether it’s important to prove one’s identity to participate in an election – voter ID. We hear endless commentaries (or arguments) over something called “gender identity.” Famous individuals make news when they announce their identity as supporters of a particular political party.

But our identity – who we are – doesn’t have to be news-making. Whenever we fill out a survey, they ask numerous questions related to our identity: Are we married, single, divorced, or what? What about race or ethnicity – which one are we? Then there’s that matter of gender again. The difference is that these days, there are usually more than two boxes from which to choose.

 

When we meet someone for the first time, whether in a business context, a new neighbor or even a fellow passenger on a commercial jet, one question we commonly ask – or answer – is, “What kind of work do you do?” In other words, what’s your vocational or professional identity?

 

We can find a sense of “identity” in the sports teams we root for, hobbies we pursue, how much education we have and where we received it, the size of our bank account, which subdivision we live in, the people and groups we associate with, and a host of many other things. 

 

Each of these identity determinants has some value, but shouldn’t there be something about us that transcends such things as ethnicity, net worth, job, or even how we spend time behind closed doors?

 

Reading through the Bible, we see a strange and amazing collection of characters, most of them very flawed, but in terms of identity, they had one reality in common: They saw themselves as inseparably linked to God; He was their single-most reason for being. For instance, we read that “Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God” (Hebrews 11:24-25).

 

Moses’ successor, Joshua, led the Israelites into the Promised Land, fulfilling the promise the Lord had made when they were freed from bondage in Egypt. But a great danger lurked – the temptation to turn away from the one true God and worship the false gods of the surrounding nations. So, as his days as their leader were nearing an end, Joshua gave the people of Israel this charge: “…then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

 

As good an example of someone who had absolute clarity about his identity was Paul the apostle. Speaking to a large crowd in the city of Athens, filled with idols to an multiplicity of gods, Paul explained what faith in Jesus Christ meant: “In him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28)

 

Writing to believers in the city of Galatia, he declared, “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). 

 

Writing to Jesus’ followers in another ancient church, Paul underscored their true identity: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). In another letter to the same group, the apostle wrote, “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).

 

Being Christ followers also clarified one’s identity in terms of calling and service, the apostle asserted, “for we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9). Imagine being chosen as co-workers with the Lord in fulfilling His eternal purposes on earth.

 

In his second letter to the church in Corinth, Paul wrote, “…God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (1 Corinthians 5:19-20). 

 

Perhaps the most compelling statement about the true identity of those who follow Jesus is found in Galatians 3:26-28, which declares, “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

In Christ, traits like ethnicity, social status or gender aren’t taken into account. Our jobs, hobbies, personal possessions and portfolios, even our personal habits, are things we do – but they’re not who we are, our identity, if we have received Him as Savior and Lord. We are “new creations” – the old has passed, the new has come! 

The Mythical ‘Separation of Church and State’

Our founding fathers did a remarkable job in writing the U.S. Constitution. Not only in building the framework for a new, independent nation, but also in anticipating what needs and circumstances would confront the United States of America in the future, both near and far. 

 

Most of us remember the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, but did you know the first 10 amendments to the Constitution were ratified on Dec. 15, 1791? That’s nearly 230 years ago, yet in many respects these amendments make as much sense now as they did then.

 

These days there’s considerable debate about the meaning and application of several of the amendments, including Amendment I, which encompasses the rights to worship freely and speak freely, as well as freedom of the press and the right to assemble. What I’d like to look at is the beginning of the 1^st amendment, which states very simply, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof….”

 

This was specified because the United States was in part the byproduct of people fleeing from Great Britain, where the state had established the official religion, restricting the practice of other faiths. As a result, today in America we have a cornucopia of religions and belief systems from which to choose. And most would agree that is as it should be; no one should be coerced into what they should or should not believe.

 

Somewhere along the line, however, the intent of this amendment was turned on its head. Instead of restraining the government from dictating a specific religion, it’s become interpreted by many as a taboo for exercising one’s faith in the public square. There are those who would argue that faith – or religion – has no place in politics, education, science, or any other discipline.

 

This isn’t a new development. It’s a growing trend that started gaining traction in the 1960s and has been building momentum ever since. But I find it hard to comprehend how someone devoted to their beliefs, especially followers of Jesus Christ, could hang their faith at the door no matter which sphere they enter. As the apostle Paul wrote, “For in him [Jesus] we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

 

Some folks seem to compartmentalize their faith, putting on their religious masks on designated worship days but acting as if God does not exist the rest of the time. For born-again disciples of Christ, however, that's not an option. They can’t help but bring his or her beliefs into whatever they do, whether it’s working, going to school, passing laws, or even in adopting worldviews for help in sorting through the complexities of everyday life.

 

As the brilliant writer, theologian and apologist C.S. Lewis wrote, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." In the life of faith, there is no separation. It’s not like a hat or coat we can conveniently put on and remove whenever it serves our purposes. 

 

We’re admonished in Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” In essence, we’re there to serve Him and His purposes.

 

Whether in the halls of Congress or a schoolhouse, the Oval Office or an office cubicle, when we as Jesus’ followers are there, He’s right there with us. The Lord doesn’t reside in the sanctuary, but in our hearts, as Galatians 2:20 declares: “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.”

 

Years ago I heard the following quotation that’s generally attributed to George MacLeod, a Scottish clergyman. It encapsulates the importance of diligently avoiding any separating of church and state, church and workplace, or church and classroom:

 

“I simply argue that the cross be raised again at the center of the marketplace as well as on the steeple of the church. I am recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles, but on a cross between two thieves; on the town garbage heap; at a crossroad so cosmopolitan that they had to write his title in Hebrew and in Latin and in Greek...at the kind of place where cynics talk smut, and thieves curse, and soldiers gamble. Because that is where he died. And that is what he died about. And that is where churchmen ought to be, and what churchmen should be about.”

 

The building we typically call “the church” may be the place we congregate on a regular basis, to worship and be reminded of the Lord’s call on our lives as members of His eternal body. But we’re to exercise that call in the world around us, wherever He chooses to place us. “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9).

Failure is Not an Option – Or Is it?

Midway through the 20^thcentury, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) captured the fascination of Americans. It was during the Cold War with the Soviet Union, and the so-called “space race” was well underway. The Russians had scored the first major victory, successfully launching cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into space, and the United States was scrambling to catch up and surpass their international rivals.

During that time NASA adopted the motto, “Failure is not an option.” It served NASA well: success of Apollo 11’s first manned lunar landing; the safe return of three astronauts when, prior to the third moon landing attempt, multiple issues arose that ultimately aborted Apollo 13; and numerous other missions.

Of course, option or not, failures did mar NASA’s march toward success. Some launches had to be scrubbed, even shortly before lift-off. Others fell short of their objectives. The most horrific failure was the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986, in which seven crew members perished, including five astronauts, a civilian school teacher, and a payload specialist.

Despite the failures, success for the space program was more the norm. And today we’re all benefiting not only from scientific knowledge but also from technological advances that brought devices we so casually use today, from computers and smartphones to digital TVs and GPS navigational tools.

Tracing progress by anyone of noteworthy achievement, we will find pathways to success littered with potholes of failure, whether they’re scientists, inventors, musicians, artists or statesmen. For them, failure was not just an option, it was a necessary stepping stone toward success.

The same is true spiritually. In fact, Ecclesiastes 11:6 offers this advice: “Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.” In other words, don’t put all your eggs – or seeds – all into one basket. Some things will work out as expected, but others won’t. Failures will be mixed with successes.

In a real sense, it’s failure in attempting to live out this complicated pursuit we call everyday life that points us to ultimate success – a life-changing, eternal relationship with God.

The book of Romans makes this abundantly clear. For instance, we read, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12), and “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). 

To state it in other terms, we’ve all failed miserably in trying to live up to God’s perfect standard of holiness and righteousness. That’s the bad news. But the good news – the really Good News – is that the Lord has more than compensated for each and every one of our failures through His sacrifice on the cross. In fact, it’s usually recognition of our failure that leads us to Christ.

The apostle Paul expressed this so well when he wrote, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!... 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” (Romans 7:24-8:2).

Success in the spiritual life requires seeing and understanding things from an upside-down perspective. To win we must lose; to succeed we first must fail; to live we must die. Galatians 2:20 states it well: “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.”

This verse assures us that what we could not do – no matter how hard we try, how desperately we want to – Jesus did on our 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” (2 Corinthians 5:21). As devotional writer Oswald Chambers expresses it, “Out of the wreck I rise.”

In the Christian life, failure can sometimes be our greatest teacher. So if we desire to grow, to consistently become more conformed to the likeness of Jesus, failure must be an option. It serves to remind us, as John the Baptist declared,“He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

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!

‘I’m With Him’

Being a journalist for most of my life has had its perks. Lucrative compensation wasn’t among them, unfortunately, but I did get to go to some interesting places. I had the privilege of meeting the late, highly respected Dr. Richard Halverson in the U.S. Senate Building when he was chaplain of the Senate. I got to go up to an exclusive restaurant atop one of the World Trade Center towers several years before they were destroyed by terrorists. 

A constable took me inside the police headquarters in Montego Bay, Jamaica. I even toured the inside a new electronic scoreboard at Ohio Stadium while the football mecca was being renovated some years back. Who knew those scoreboards are so huge, you could take up residence in one?

In each case, I couldn’t just stroll in on my own accord. I was with someone authorized to let me enter and guide me through. Although it never happened, if someone had challenged whether I was entitled to be allowed in, I would have just pointed to my host and said, “I’m with him.”

What if it’s like that when our earthly tour has come to an end and we’re standing in front of the proverbial “pearly gates”? What if, as some of us were taught in the door-to-door evangelism script, we encounter God at the entrance and He asks, “Why should I let you into My Heaven?” Maybe, instead of trying to recount the meritorious things we said and did, we’ll simply point to Jesus and say, “I’m with Him.”

Because that’s what the Scriptures teach over and over. For instance, Romans 5:8 asserts, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” As a friend used to paraphrase this verse years ago, “Christ took the rap for me.” 

Another passage in the same book elaborates the “with Him” concept in unequivocal terms: “We were therefore buried with him through 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. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with”  (Romans 6:4-6).

Yet another “with Him” passage revolutionized my thinking – and my faith – when I read, “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).

During His time walking the earth, Jesus loved the relationships He built with His followers. Mark 3:14 states, “He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach.” Much in the gospels speaks about interactions Jesus had with His closest disciples. But the Scriptures also tell of how He eagerly anticipates our being with Him in the life to come.

In fact, 1 John 3:2 declares we not only will be with Christ, but “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

So one day, if the hypothetical question is asked, “Why should I let you into My Heaven,” we can respond not only, “I’m with Him,” but we’ll also make the amazing discovery that we’re like Him. The eternal family resemblance, apparently, will be unmistakable! 

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.

Living Under New Management

In a little more than four months, Americans from coast to coast will stream to the polls to elect not only a new President and Vice President, but also U.S. Senators and members of the House of Representatives. There are those who support the course our nation is on today and are looking for more of the same. Others are eager for the country to be “under new management,” hoping the direction the United States has taken will shift drastically.

Fresh starts often foster high hopes.

The idea of new management can be very appealing in many situations, whether for a once-popular restaurant, a retail store, or a major corporation where profits and consumer confidence need a strong boost. It’s the hope that under new management, necessary changes will take place, along with major improvements.

Sometimes even congregations could benefit from being under “new management,” especially in circumstances when it appears to be the senior pastor, and not God, who’s calling the shots.

Bringing it down to an even more personal level, has there ever been a time when you sensed a need for your own life to be “under new management”?

I remember years ago, as a fairly new believer, wrestling with a variety of issues – anger and anxiety being among them. How could a Christian think and act the way I was? I remember praying, asking God for “help” in overcoming these struggles. Despite my best efforts, however, I was making no progress. The “bolt” of spiritual strength I was anticipating from on high never seemed to come.

At the time I was also trying to come to terms with two verses I was memorizing. One was Galatians 2:20, “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.” The other passage was 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

“How can this be?” I wondered in frustration. “How can Jesus live in me spiritually with all this anger, my short temper, and the constant anxiousness I feel?” And I certainly did not feel like a “new creation.” I seemed like the same old flawed, troubled knucklehead I’d always been. I began to question whether I genuinely was a follower of Jesus Christ, or whether I was just fooling myself – and perhaps everyone else – just going through the motions, saying the right words.

Thankfully, around that time God put a man into my life who encouraged me to dig deeper into the Scriptures. He urged me to discover not who I felt I was, or who I thought I was, but what the Bible truly said about me and who I was in relation to Jesus as one of His followers. The key, I learned, was not relying on ever-shifting feelings, but instead starting to act upon God’s revealed truth.

For instance, Romans 6:4 states, “We were therefore buried with (Christ) through 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.” For me that meant if I believed and appropriated that promise, I could indeed be living “under new management.”

Another verse, Romans 6:11, expands on that idea: “In the same way, count (consider, reckon) yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”  A bit later the apostle Paul added, “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you” (Romans 8:12). What I’ve learned this means is that while the influence of sin is not dead to me, I am no longer enslaved or in bondage to it, as Paul explained in Romans 6:15-23.

This, frankly, is heavy stuff, biblical truth I’m striving to trust in and act upon to this day. It sounds too good to be true. In reality, it’s good – but not too good. And it is true. I’ve discovered many of the revered giants of Christian history – people like Saint Augustine, A.W. Tozer, Andrew Murray, Oswald Chambers, Fanny Crosby, Hudson Taylor and countless others – have found freedom and great joy as they came to understand their identity in Christ, instead of who they sometimes felt like they were. In fact, years ago someone wrote a book called They Found the Secret, accounts of people who experienced the transforming impact of grasping what it means to be “in Christ.”

Sometimes I’m more successful in living out this truth than other times. What the Bible calls “the flesh” is stubborn, and old habits don’t die easily. But if we read, study and apply what the Scriptures teach, we’ll realize we can in fact be “under new management” spiritually, realizing Acts 17:28 – “For in him (Jesus) we live and move and have our being.”

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.

A New Leaf – Or a New Life?

An old phrase we sometimes still hear concerns “turning over a new leaf.” This cliché, which apparently dates back to the 1500’s, alludes to the turning from one page (or leaf) of a book – the old-fashioned, paper kind – to a new one. Of course, these days when people talk of turning over a new leaf, they’re not making reference to a book – paper or Kindle version – but rather to beginning again, reforming, or making a fresh start.

People turning over a new leaf in their lives might desire to overcome an addiction, a behavioral problem, even a lack of motivation at work. Leave the old page behind and move onto a new one; start afresh.

Are you feeling a need to turn over a new leaf?

Have you ever tried to do this, turning over a new leaf in some area of your life? It might be as simple as deciding to quit watching so much TV or as urgent as trying to overcome a recurring, relationship-damaging struggle with anger. At the start of every year many of us make resolutions or set goals to turn over a new leaf and start doing – or stop doing – things we were not able to accomplish the year prior.

One common misconception about the Christian faith is that it requires taking a similar initiative – to turn over a new leaf spiritually speaking and attempt to clean up our act. That’s not the way it works, however, according to the Scriptures.

Two Bible passages I initially encountered years ago troubled me for some time. One of them said, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). I thought, “How can this be true – at least for me? I don’t feel like a new creation. I’m still the same old knucklehead I’ve always been. Don’t tell me the old has gone – it sure seems like it’s still here. I’ve been trying to change, but it’s not happening!”

Another verse offered a similar idea, showing my understanding from the other passage wasn’t misconstrued: “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).

Nowhere do these verses direct the reader to “clean up your act,” or even “turn over a new leaf.” They talk about literal, spiritual renewal, orchestrated by God and not our own intentions. My efforts to change my own life, to undo lifelong patterns of wrong thinking and behavior, were as productive as trying to purify a piece of spoiled beef by wiping it off with a paper towel.

Recently I heard an observation by Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, about personal evangelism. He pointed out too often the focus of evangelistic efforts is to invite people to attend a church service or get them to join a particular congregation. That’s not what we’re called to be about as followers of Jesus, according to Stetzer. He stated ours is “not mission of recruitment, but mission of reconciliation.”

He cited 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (not far from one of the bothersome verses I cited above), which says, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were working his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

In one sense, that’s deep theology. But in another way of looking at it, it’s quite simple. As an old friend of mine used to say, “Jesus took the rap for me.” But He didn’t stop there. Jesus also offered us new life, the capacity to live the life God demands – but in His strength, not ours.

“Apart from Me, you can do nothing,” Jesus told His followers in John 15:5. And as the apostle Paul affirmed in Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through (Christ) who strengthens me.”

Yes, it might be necessary for us to turn over a new leaf. But we need to understand that Jesus Christ is our leaf-turner.

Receiving Life – Through Death

Death. We hate thinking about it yet have a morbid fascination with it. Whenever we hear about a major disaster in which lives were lost, we rush to our news media of choice for details. If someone famous dies – an entertainer, athlete, or public figure – we’re quick to ask our friends, “Have you heard…?”

Many of us have indelible memories etched in stone when asked where we were when we heard JFK was assassinated, Elvis and/or Michael Jackson died, when the space shuttle Challenger exploded, or when the horrific events of 9/11 unfolded.

Local newscasts often open with stories about homicides, traffic fatalities and tragic fires. Why? Because people watch. We read obituaries to see if anyone we know has left this life.

At the same time we’re reluctant to contemplate our own mortality. We procrastinate in writing last wills and testaments, and cringe when thinking about making funeral arrangements in advance, as if delaying those steps could hold our own demise at bay.

But as someone has said, death is the great equalizer. It’s truly the one area in which “all men are created equal.” The mortality rate is 100 percent. It’s more certain than taxes – taxes have shelters, write-offs and deductions, but death has no such things.

So this time of year underscores a great biblical paradox: Receiving life through death.

We’re in the midst of Holy Week, highlighted by the traditional Good Friday observance and Easter celebration. Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ, who claimed to be the Son of God. And Easter marks the most improbable occurrence of all: His resurrection from the dead and subsequent appearance to hundreds of witnesses, spawning a spiritual movement that continues to multiply, transforming countless lives all around the globe.

Easter is easier to “get,” even without the Easter bunny, chocolate eggs and baby chicks. Good Friday, however, is more of a puzzle. I vividly remember attending a somber Good Friday service at my church as a boy. During the proceedings I asked my mother, “If this is the day Jesus was crucified, why do we call it Good Friday? What’s good about it?”

Lacking formal spiritual training, my mom deferred to “the reverend,” who after the service stood at the door shaking hands with departing congregants. I asked him the same question. As I recall he mumbled something but offered little in response. (As you might surmise, it wasn’t a Southern Baptist church.)

I concluded if the minister – a professional religious person – didn’t know the answer, who would? So my question about the basis for “Good” Friday remained unanswered into my college years and beyond. It didn’t dominate my thoughts, but certainly didn’t seem to make sense.

Then, many years later, I learned the answer. Jesus’ physical death on the cross, described by many as the most excruciating form of execution ever devised, was not “good.” But its purpose and ramifications for humanity certainly were.

Mankind had an insurmountable problem then, as it does today: Sin. Literally it means “missing the mark,” where God’s standard of perfection is non-negotiable. In response to this problem, Jesus came not only to teach and serve as an example, but also to provide the solution. Romans 5:8 states, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” To use a theological term, Jesus became the atonement for our sins. Or to use a more common term of the recent past, He took the rap for us.

But this is where it gets really interesting. It’s more than having sins forgiven and gaining the promise of life after death, even though those are wonderful promises in themselves. The Bible teaches followers of Christ also receive life before death. That’s what Jesus was referring to when He told the Pharisee Nicodemus, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again…no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit” (John 3:3-8).

I’ll not attempt to delve much deeper. Hundreds of books have been devoted to expositions on this concept of being “born again” and its significance, both for this life and the next. But I believe it’s the linchpin of the Christian faith, perhaps the singular distinctive between it and all other belief systems. Sadly, it’s an understanding many followers of Christ never fully grasp. As a result, instead of experiencing “victory in Jesus,” they feel defeated, struggling constantly to live a life that’s impossible in their own strength.

Two verses helped to hammer home this truth for me about 30 years ago. One states, “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). The other, 2 Corinthians 5:17, says much the same, only in a different way: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.”

For many of us, everyday experience says those verses doesn’t make sense. We’re only human, right? Nobody’s perfect. That’s true, of course, but sinful, ungodly behavior need no longer be the “default setting” for those who have received Christ and know Him as Savior and Lord.

One passage sums up this death-to-life perspective: “We were therefore buried with him through 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…. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus… You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness” (Romans 6:4-18).

If you profess to know and follow Christ, but this has not been your experience, don’t take my word for it. What I think doesn’t matter. What matters is what God thinks. So I would strongly encourage you to read and re-read Romans 5-8 and ask God to enable you to understand its meaning in a practical, everyday sense. If you do, this Easter might be one you will never forget.